Dubai office investment: three off-plan projects
Three off-plan offices run through one model: Haus of Tenet in Business Bay, Trussardi Offices in Al Furjan and The Symphony in Meydan. Entry runs from AED 1 332 000 to AED 4 100 000, with 50–60% of the price paid before handover. Selling before handover returns 16.7% to 55.6% on the cash paid in across the scenarios; renting after handover yields 7.4% to 14.1% a year. Model dated February 2026.
What does entry cost, and what comes out?
| Project | District | Unit | Price | Plan | Handover | Exit before handover, on cash paid in | Net rental yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haus of Tenet | Business Bay | 1 000 sq ft | AED 4 100 000 | 50/50 | Q2 2028 | 24.4–53.7% | 9.3–14.1% |
| Trussardi Offices | Al Furjan | 444 sq ft | AED 1 332 000 | 60/40 | Q4 2027 | 16.7–55.6% | 9.3–12.6% |
| The Symphony | Meydan | 1 150 sq ft | AED 4 025 000 | 50/50 | Q2 2029 | 17.1–40% | 7.4–10.3% |
Insider Real Estate model, February 2026. Returns are before transaction costs; what is left out is listed below.
How does the model work?
The same model runs across all three projects. It takes a specific unit, the price per foot and the share the developer asks for before handover. From there, two routes: sell the office before handover without paying the balance, or pay in full and let it.
Exit before handover. The new buyer refunds the cash you have paid in and pays the price difference, and it is the buyer who settles the balance with the developer. Profit is the sale price less the purchase price, divided by what you actually paid in. That is how a 12% rise in price becomes 24% on capital when only half is paid.
If the office does not sell before handover, the balance is paid in full and the same profit is divided by the whole price. In the tables this is the “on full price” column — the result without the leverage of the payment plan.
Rent after handover works like this: the annual rate per foot times the area, less the service charge, divided by the full purchase price.
What the model leaves out
- The Dubai Land Department fee — 4% of the price on purchase.
- The broker’s commission — 2% plus VAT.
- The developer’s resale fee and the cost of the sale itself.
- Fit-out for a shell & core office, and the 4–6 months without income while it is done.
- Vacancy between tenants.
Every percentage below is before these costs. The exit prices and rents in the scenarios are assumptions of the model — not a forecast and not a promise.
What does an office in Haus of Tenet return?
- District: Business Bay
- Developer: Irth Group
- Format: Grade A, art-led concept, high privacy, park view; handed over as shell & core
- Unit in the model: 1 000 sq ft
- Price per foot: AED 4 100
- Purchase price: AED 4 100 000
- Payment plan: 50/50
- Paid before handover: AED 2 050 000
- Balance at handover: AED 2 050 000
- Handover: Q2 2028
- Exit horizon: 1.5–2 years, before handover
Exit before handover
| Exit price per foot | Sale price | In hand after the balance | Profit | On cash paid in | On full price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AED 4 600 | AED 4 600 000 | AED 2 550 000 | AED 500 000 | 24.4% | 12.2% |
| AED 4 900 | AED 4 900 000 | AED 2 850 000 | AED 800 000 | 39% | 19.5% |
| AED 5 200 | AED 5 200 000 | AED 3 150 000 | AED 1 100 000 | 53.7% | 26.8% |
Rent after handover
| Rent per foot a year | Rent a year | Service charge | Net rent | Yield | Payback, years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AED 400 | AED 400 000 | AED 20 000 | AED 380 000 | 9.3% | 10.8 |
| AED 500 | AED 500 000 | AED 20 000 | AED 480 000 | 11.7% | 8.5 |
| AED 600 | AED 600 000 | AED 20 000 | AED 580 000 | 14.1% | 7.1 |
Service charge in the model — AED 20 per foot a year.
Terms and notes
- At the date of the model, entry into off-plan offices in Business Bay started at an average of AED 4 200 per foot — the project is priced with the district, not above it.
- Buying two offices while keeping the usable area can bring the final price down to AED 3 700–3 800 per foot.
- With a tenant in place the model values the office for the next buyer at a 9% yield: from AED 4 222 222 at the lowest rent to AED 6 444 444 at the highest.
Project page: photos, floor plans and current developer prices →
What does an office in Trussardi Offices return?
- District: Al Furjan, on the edge of Discovery Gardens, opposite the metro station
- Developer: Mira Developments
- Format: Fully fitted boutique offices with Trussardi Casa interiors; 3.3 m ceilings
- Unit in the model: 444 sq ft
- Price per foot: AED 3 000
- Purchase price: AED 1 332 000
- Payment plan: 60/40
- Paid before handover: AED 799 200
- Balance at handover: AED 532 800
- Handover: Q4 2027
- Exit horizon: before handover, i.e. by the end of 2027
Exit before handover
| Exit price per foot | Sale price | In hand after the balance | Profit | On cash paid in | On full price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AED 3 300 | AED 1 465 200 | AED 932 400 | AED 133 200 | 16.7% | 10% |
| AED 3 600 | AED 1 598 400 | AED 1 065 600 | AED 266 400 | 33.3% | 20% |
| AED 4 000 | AED 1 776 000 | AED 1 243 200 | AED 444 000 | 55.6% | 33.3% |
Rent after handover
| Rent per foot a year | Rent a year | Service charge | Net rent | Yield | Payback, years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AED 300 | AED 133 200 | AED 9 768 | AED 123 432 | 9.3% | 10.8 |
| AED 350 | AED 155 400 | AED 9 768 | AED 145 632 | 10.9% | 9.1 |
| AED 400 | AED 177 600 | AED 9 768 | AED 167 832 | 12.6% | 7.9 |
Service charge in the model — AED 20–22 per foot a year.
Terms and notes
- For 100% payment upfront the developer offered a 15% discount — the price came down to roughly AED 2 500 per foot.
Project page: photos, floor plans and current developer prices →
What does an office in The Symphony return?
- District: Meydan
- Developer: Imtiaz Developments
- Format: Office floors in a tower designed by Zaha Hadid Architects
- Unit in the model: 1 150 sq ft
- Price per foot: AED 3 500
- Purchase price: AED 4 025 000
- Payment plan: 50/50
- Paid before handover: AED 2 012 500
- Balance at handover: AED 2 012 500
- Handover: Q2 2029
- Exit horizon: 2–2.5 years, before handover
Exit before handover
| Exit price per foot | Sale price | In hand after the balance | Profit | On cash paid in | On full price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AED 3 800 | AED 4 370 000 | AED 2 357 500 | AED 345 000 | 17.1% | 8.6% |
| AED 4 000 | AED 4 600 000 | AED 2 587 500 | AED 575 000 | 28.6% | 14.3% |
| AED 4 200 | AED 4 830 000 | AED 2 817 500 | AED 805 000 | 40% | 20% |
Rent after handover
| Rent per foot a year | Rent a year | Service charge | Net rent | Yield | Payback, years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AED 280 | AED 322 000 | AED 23 000 | AED 299 000 | 7.4% | 13.5 |
| AED 330 | AED 379 500 | AED 23 000 | AED 356 500 | 8.9% | 11.3 |
| AED 380 | AED 437 000 | AED 23 000 | AED 414 000 | 10.3% | 9.7 |
Service charge in the model — AED 20 per foot a year.
Terms and notes
- With a 50% down payment the developer offered an extra 5% discount; for 100% payment — 12%.
- I recommend the podium floors: they have no balconies, which makes the layout more functional for office use.
Project page: photos, floor plans and current developer prices →
How do the three options differ?
- The lowest entry is Trussardi Offices: AED 1 332 000, and it is the only fully fitted office of the three. But 60% of the price is paid before handover here, not 50%.
- The highest rent in the scenarios is Haus of Tenet: 9.3–14.1% a year. The office is handed over as shell & core, though, and fit-out is not in the model.
- The longest hold is The Symphony: handover in Q2 2029, with rent in the scenarios at 7.4–10.3% a year — below the other two.
- In the top pre-handover exit scenario the projects return 53.7%, 55.6% and 40% on the cash paid in; on full price — 26.8%, 33.3% and 20%.
What all three share: only part of the price is needed before handover — 50–60%. That caps the money at risk and also explains the high percentages: they are measured against the part paid in, not the whole price.
If there is no exit before handover, the office remains a rental asset. That is what the “on full price” column and the rental table are for: they show what is left of the model without a quick resale.
The prices per foot here are as of February 2026. Off-plan projects are repriced several times a year, so check them against the developer’s current price list before deciding — it is on the project pages.
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The short answers
How much money does an off-plan office in Dubai take?
In these three models the office costs from AED 1 332 000 (Trussardi Offices, 444 sq ft) to AED 4 100 000 (Haus of Tenet, 1 000 sq ft). 50–60% of the price is paid before handover: from AED 799 200 to AED 2 050 000. On top come the 4% Dubai Land Department fee and the broker’s commission.
Can an office be sold before the building is handed over?
Yes — the first scenario of the model rests on it: the office is assigned to a new buyer before handover, and the buyer pays the balance to the developer. The terms of assignment — what share must be paid and what the developer charges for consent — differ by project. They are checked in the contract before any deposit is paid.
What does an office yield in rent after handover?
In the model’s scenarios: Haus of Tenet — 9.3–14.1% a year at AED 400–600 per foot, Trussardi Offices — 9.3–12.6% at AED 300–400, The Symphony — 7.4–10.3% at AED 280–380. That is net rent after the service charge against the full purchase price, with no vacancy and no fit-out.
Why is the return on a pre-handover exit so high?
Because the profit is divided not by the whole price but by the part paid in — 50–60%. At Haus of Tenet a move from AED 4 100 to AED 4 600 per foot is 12.2% on the price but 24.4% on the half paid in. It cuts both ways: if the price has not moved, the balance still falls due.
How current are these figures?
The model uses developer prices as of February 2026. Terms may have changed since: off-plan projects are repriced several times a year, and the remaining stock shifts within weeks. I send the current price list and payment plan on request.
Model an office for your budget
Tell me the budget and how long you are prepared to hold. I will send the current price list for these three projects and the same model for any other office — with fit-out, service charge and transaction costs.
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