Neighbourhood guide
Business Bay
A central district of residential and office towers along the Dubai Water Canal, beside Downtown Dubai.
Photograph: kijevskymarek, Envato
Business Bay is a mixed-use district beside Downtown Dubai, developed by Dubai Properties along the extension of Dubai Creek. It combines office and residential towers, hotels and waterfront promenades. Since 2016 it has been linked to the Gulf by the Dubai Water Canal.
- Master developer
- Dubai Properties (Dubai Holding)
- Established
- 2003
- Setting
- Towers along the Creek extension
- Waterway
- Dubai Water Canal, opened in 2016
Landmarks and lifestyle
Around Business Bay
Three places inside the district and one nearby.
Dubai Water Canal
A 3.2-kilometre waterway to the Gulf with walking paths and bridges, opened in November 2016.
Photograph: Vicharam, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Bay Avenue Park
A landscaped park of about 100,000 square feet at the heart of the district.
Photograph: Iwona Rege, Wikimedia Commons
Bay Avenue
The retail podium of Executive Towers, among the district’s first completed buildings.
Photograph: Vicharam, Wikimedia Commons
Burj Khalifa
Downtown Dubai and Burj Khalifa sit directly beside the district.
Photograph: Laika ac, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)Market at a glance
Business Bay in figures
Registered home sales from October 2025 to September 2026, Dubai Land Department.
6,288Registered home sales in the last 12 months
AED 2.0mTypical apartment sale, the median of 6,288 sales
AED 2,480Median price per sq ft, all homes
+1.8%Change in median price per sq ft over 12 months
Available properties
Properties in Business Bay
5 available
1,480,000Redwood scorecard
Business Bay against 24 Dubai communities
Six measures, calculated the same way for every community we cover. Five dots means the strongest reading among them.
Liquidity●●●●●6,288 salesHome sales, last 12 months · Rank 1 of 24
Sales each month, October 2023 to September 2026April to September 2026: 302 a month, against 862 over the previous 30 months.
Price momentum●●●○○+1.8%Change in median AED per sq ft over 12 months · Rank 14 of 22
Median AED per sq ft by yearAED 2,497 in 2025, AED 2,404 in 2026 to September.
Five-year growth●●●○○+84.0%Change in median AED per sq ft over 5 years · Rank 12 of 20
Then and now2021AED 1,4002026AED 2,404Median price per sq ft, all homes.
Activity against its own history●●●●○119% of its averageLast 12 months against its 10-year average · Rank 5 of 20
Home sales by yearPeak of 11,833 in 2025. 2026 shows January to September.
Prime demand●●●●○15 salesSales of AED 36.7m (USD 10m) or more · Rank 4 of 24
What buyers spentUnder AED 2mUSD 10m and above52.8% of sales at AED 2m or more, the Golden Visa level.
Ready-home market●●○○○38.4% of salesShare of sales in completed homes · Rank 17 of 24
Off-plan against completed, per sq ftOff-planAED 2,687CompletedAED 1,8613,874 off-plan and 2,414 completed sales.
What homes sold for
Registered sales, last 12 months
| Home | Sales | Entry | Typical | Top | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apartments | 6,288 | AED 1.1m | AED 2.0m | AED 4.2m | AED 2,480 |
| By bedroom, all homes | |||||
| Studio | 1,470 | AED 1.2m | AED 2,513 | ||
| 1 bed | 2,766 | AED 2.0m | AED 2,452 | ||
| 2 bed | 1,570 | AED 3.1m | AED 2,433 | ||
| 3 bed | 392 | AED 4.9m | AED 2,500 | ||
| 4 bed | 69 | AED 7.7m | AED 2,557 | ||
| 5 bed | 10 | AED 30.4m | AED 4,015 | ||
Entry is the 10th percentile, typical the median and top the 90th percentile of registered sale prices. Bedroom rows show the median and include villas; sizes with fewer than ten sales are left out.
Price per sq ft over time
Median AED per sq ft, all homes
*2026 covers January to September. Medians reflect the mix of homes sold each year as well as prices.
Source: Dubai Land Department transaction register, data.dubai extract of 20 October 2026. Homes are apartments registered for residential use and all villas; sales, pre-registration and delayed sales are counted. Analysis by Redwood Heritage.
The Redwood perspective
Central waterfront living, close to work
Character
Residential and office towers, serviced residences and hotels, many facing the canal or the Creek extension.
Who it may suit
Buyers who want a central waterfront home near their place of work and Downtown Dubai.
Ownership
Business Bay is not named in Regulation No. 3 of 2006, which lists Dubai’s designated areas by plot, so confirm the title of the specific plot or unit with the Dubai Land Department before you commit.
Trade-offs
Buildings vary widely in age and specification, so the choice of tower matters as much as the district. Service charges vary by building and are published in the RERA Service Charge Index on the Dubai Land Department website.
Compare with
Communities priced closest to Business Bay
The three guides nearest in median price per sq ft over the last 12 months.
Enquire
Considering Business Bay?
Tell us what you are looking for, whether to live, to hold or to sell. Our team will reply to discuss your requirements.
Speak to our team
What the brochures leave out
Honest trade-offs
- Much of the market is off-plan. 61.6% of home sales in the last 12 months were homes not yet completed, so handover dates and the developer record carry real weight.
- Service charges differ by building. The Dubai Land Department publishes them in its Service Charge Index. We obtain the current figure for any home before you make an offer.
Owning from abroad
For the international buyer
- Who can buy. Non-UAE nationals may hold freehold title without time limit in the areas Dubai designates for foreign ownership. We confirm the status of each home on its title deed before you commit.
- Golden Visa. Property worth AED 2m or more can support a UAE Golden Visa. 52.8% of registered home sales here in the last 12 months were at AED 2m or above.
- Purchase and yearly costs. The Dubai Land Department registration fee is 4% of the value, paid by the buyer. Service charges are the main yearly cost.
- Holding structure. Many families hold Dubai property through a company or foundation for succession. Our structuring colleagues at Redwood Heritage can arrange this alongside the purchase.
Questions buyers ask
Business Bay, answered
Each answer with its source. Figures are registered sales from October 2025 to September 2026.
Can foreigners buy property in Business Bay?
Non-UAE nationals may own freehold property without time limit in the areas Dubai designates for foreign ownership. We confirm the status of each home on its title deed before you commit.
Source: Regulation No. 3 of 2006, Government of DubaiDoes a home in Business Bay qualify for a Golden Visa?
A property worth AED 2m or more, wholly owned or financed by a local bank, can support a UAE Golden Visa. In the last 12 months, 52.8% of registered home sales in Business Bay were at AED 2m or above.
Source: Ministry of Economy and Tourism; Dubai Land DepartmentWhat does a home in Business Bay cost?
Typical registered sale prices over the last 12 months: apartments AED 2.0m. The buyer also pays the Dubai Land Department registration fee of 4% of the value.
Source: Dubai Land DepartmentHow have prices moved in Business Bay?
The median price per sq ft changed +1.8% over the last 12 months and +84.0% over five years. The current median is AED 2,480 per sq ft.
Source: Dubai Land DepartmentWhat are service charges in Business Bay?
Service charges are set building by building and published by the Dubai Land Department in its Service Charge Index. We obtain the current figure for any home before you make an offer.
Source: Dubai Land Department, Service Charge IndexSources: Dubai Land Department transaction register, data.dubai extract of 20 October 2026; Regulation No. 3 of 2006; Ministry of Economy and Tourism, Golden Visa for real estate investors; Dubai Land Department, registration fees.
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