United Arab Emirates

Commercial Real Estate in the UAE

As a regional and global business hub, the UAE has maintained its appeal with global occupiers and investors, driving consistent demand for its real estate, underpinned by the UAE government’s continuous push towards improving the ease of doing business and a series of investor-friendly policies.

The UAE is home to major business districts that offer state-of-the-art office space and advanced infrastructure such as Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and several industry-specific freezones under TECOM, including Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City.

With long-term visas and amendments to foreign ownership policies, the UAE is increasingly attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) while offering the lowest corporate tax within the GCC at 9% and one of the lowest VAT rates globally at 5%.

The UAE office market continues its upward trend in rents and occupancy levels, driven by positive market sentiment and a host of economic drivers resulting in an influx of occupiers and job creation.

Why the UAE

The UAE is the most developed and matured economy in the region, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi being the main office markets offering a combined gross leasable office area of circa 150 million sq. ft. Dubai is home to the busiest airport in the world and is the fourth most visited city globally. The UAE has the highest penetration of branded residences, global retail brands, and hotel operators, with over 200,000 hotel keys across 7 emirates. Dubai’s hospitality performance metrics, including occupancy levels, average daily room rates, and revenue per available room consistently outperform global gateway cities.

Home to an iconic portfolio of influential business and trade events, Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC) hosts the largest number of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) events in the region, with robust visitation growth seen over the past few years. Nearly 50% of delegates attending these MICE events are overseas visitors.

The country is consistently ranked in the top five global cities for tourism, ease of doing business, transparency, trade, and safety. With strong air and sea connectivity, it has built a robust infrastructure for trade and logistics and is the gateway to the Middle East and Northern Africa.

Strategically located between east and west, with the UAE time zone overlapping with all major international markets along with a diverse and cosmopolitan talent pool, the country is an ideal location for regional headquarters of global corporate occupiers.

As a leading financial, logistics and technology hub, the country offers unparalleled growth opportunities for its investors and occupiers alike.

What we offer

Established in 2008, Cushman & Wakefield Core is the UAE’s first and largest commercial real estate brokerage. We are a full-service real estate firm offering end-to-end property services and advise private and institutional clients seeking to dispose, acquire, lease or develop commercial property in the UAE.

We are RICS compliant and are engaged by government entities, freezones, global corporate occupiers, family offices, high net worth individuals, real estate developers and financial service providers, advising across all real estate sectors.

Our services include: