DIFC apartments: DIFC Living, the Waldorf Astoria residences and what is being built next
DIFC Living — 41 floors and 170 homes sold by the DIFC Authority itself — launched in September 2023 with handover scheduled for Q3 2026; our stock shows units at AED 3.85–5.4m. Next up: Four Seasons (Q1 2027), DIFC Heights (2029) and The Residences DIFC (Q4 2029).
DIFC was built for banks, funds and restaurants, not homes, and it has almost no free land left. That makes every residential launch there notable. In September 2023 the financial centre's own authority brought DIFC Living to market; in 2024 a Waldorf Astoria-branded residential collection followed.
DIFC Living: the district as developer
A 41-storey tower next to Index Tower and Park Towers, designed by LWK + Partners with LACASA. Twenty-four floors hold 170 residences; the rest is workspace, dining and retail. The seller is the DIFC Authority — the body that runs the district — which is unusual in Dubai. The plan was 15/35/50 with half due on handover, scheduled for Q3 2026; portals now list the building as ready and sold out. Our stock at the end of August 2026 had two units of about 1,160 sq ft at AED 3.85–5.4m, around AED 3,960 per sq ft — close to the district average.
Waldorf Astoria in DIFC — and next door
A small collection of Waldorf Astoria-serviced residences in DIFC came to market in November 2024, pitched on hotel service rather than yield. Do not confuse it with the separate 70-storey Waldorf Astoria Residences tower in Business Bay by NABNI — different developer, different timetable.
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What is coming
| Project | Status (portals) | Handover |
|---|---|---|
| DIFC Living | sold out, ready | Q3 2026 scheduled |
| Four Seasons Private Residences | developer stock | Q1 2027 |
| DIFC Heights Tower | sold out | Q2 2029 |
| The Residences DIFC | developer stock | Q4 2029 |
Most new supply will come with the district's expansion towards Za'abeel. For owners inside the existing perimeter that is mostly good news: more offices mean more tenants, while the core gains no residential land. The district's push into AI-driven finance is covered in this note.
Who it suits
- Landlords targeting finance professionals who work in the district. Demand is steady, but the resale market is thin and exits can be slower than in Downtown.
- Owner-occupiers who want to walk to the office; family infrastructure within DIFC is limited.
- A different legal setting. DIFC is a free zone with its own courts; see our DIFC Authority developer profile before signing.
Prices, listings and price per foot by building: DIFC.
Video on this topic
The same subject on the English channel — each clip has a written version of its own.
15:01DIFC Living: apartments inside Dubai's financial centre17 September 2023
13:04Seven Palm on Palm Jumeirah: an infinity pool, a rooftop bar and a hotel underneath8 May 2024
7:59Investing in Dubai offices: why the numbers beat apartments20 October 2025
7:15Christmas in Dubai: Al Habtoor Winter Garden, Madinat Jumeirah, Expo and DIFC22 December 2023
In the news
Other write-ups on the site about the same thing.
DIFC Authority: buying inside a financial free zone with its own courts
The authority that governs and develops the Dubai International Financial Centre. Property inside DIFC sits under a different legal framework from the rest of the city — and that is the whole story.
City Walk apartments: Thyme at Central Park by Meraas, from a 2023 ballot to a finished building
Thyme is a low-rise Meraas building in Central Park at City Walk with one- to four-bedroom homes, sold by ballot in May 2023 from about AED 2.1–2.3m for a one-bedroom. Handover was set for Q3 2026; portals now list it as ready and sold out, like Celadon, Viridian, Erin and Castleton.
Abu Dhabi branded residences: Waldorf Astoria on Yas and Hilton Residences at Al Raha, both due in 2028
Hilton enters Abu Dhabi housing with two flags: Aldar’s Waldorf Astoria Residences Yas sold all 133 homes on launch day for AED 850m, and Emirates Developments’ Hilton Residences Al Raha offers 176 sea-view homes from AED 2.5m. Both complete in Q4 2028.
Most expensive areas in Dubai: price per square foot and rents in 2026
On sales registered with the Dubai Land Department in the year to July 2026, Jumeirah 2 leads at about AED 7,560 per sq ft, followed by Trade Center 2, DIFC, Dubai Harbour and La Mer. The city median is about AED 1,716. How prices compare with rents, and when a costly square foot pays off.
UAE office shortage: prime vacancy at 0.3% in Dubai and 0.1% in Abu Dhabi
JLL puts prime office vacancy at about 0.3% in Dubai and 0.1% in Abu Dhabi. In Q2 2026 Dubai Grade A rents rose 26.2% year on year and Grade B 31.5%; CBRE puts occupancy at 94% in Dubai and 96% in Abu Dhabi. What the squeeze means for office owners and buyers.
Dubai Loop: Elon Musk’s tunnel between DIFC and Dubai Mall — what is really being built
The Boring Company’s Dubai Loop: a 6.4 km pilot with 4 stations between DIFC and Dubai Mall for about $154m, a full 22.5 km, 19-station network for about $545m. The RTA contract was signed in February 2026 and tunnelling is due in the second half of the year. What it means for buyers downtown.
Below market in DIFC right now
From the daily off-market feed. Availability and price are confirmed on request.
All below-market listings →
