Business Bay Area Guide (2026): Towers, Rent, Canal and Metro

About Business Bay

Business Bay is a freehold district of towers in central Dubai, developed by Dubai Properties, part of Dubai Holding. It lies along Sheikh Zayed Road (E11), directly south of Downtown Dubai, with the creek and the canal running through the middle. In Arabic it is called Al Khaleej Al Tejari. For other parts of the city, see all our Dubai area guides.

Business Bay is not part of Downtown Dubai, although many people think it is. It is a separate community next door. It is also not a free zone: it is part of mainland Dubai. That matters for companies with offices here, not for you as a tenant, because you rent a flat here the same way as anywhere else in Dubai.

Whether you want to rent in Business Bay, buy a flat here or simply understand what living here is like, this Business Bay area guide covers it: the towers people ask about, what flats really rent and sell for, the canal, Bay Avenue and Bay Square, the Metro, parking and who Business Bay suits.

*This guide was last updated on 28 October 2026, using Dubai Land Department records up to 26 October 2026. Dollar ($) and pound (£) amounts use AED 3.6725 to the US dollar and AED 4.8771 to the British pound (XE mid-market rate); your bank's rate will differ.

Business Bay Location and Map

Business Bay sits in the middle of Dubai, between Sheikh Zayed Road and the start of Dubai Creek. These are its edges:

• North-west: Sheikh Zayed Road (E11), with Al Wasl beyond it. Business Bay station is on this side.
• North: Downtown Dubai, with Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall.
• North-east: Financial Centre Road, towards DIFC and Dubai Creek.
• East: Dubai Design District.
• South-east: the D68 road, with Mohammed Bin Rashid City beyond. Al Khail Road (E44) crosses the eastern part of Business Bay.
• South-west: Al Safa and Al Quoz.

The creek runs through Business Bay from east to west and leaves it under Sheikh Zayed Road as the Dubai Water Canal. Most towers stand along its two banks. Marasi Drive is the road along the south bank.

By road, the middle of Business Bay is about:

• 3.4 km from The Dubai Mall.
• 4.8 km from DIFC.
• 16.5 km from Dubai International Airport.

The first map shows where Business Bay is in Dubai.

The second shows Business Bay itself, with the Metro station, Bay Avenue and Bay Square.

Business Bay Highlights

Here is the short version, from the homes and the canal to the Metro and the parking.

Business Bay Towers

Every address in Business Bay is a tower, and the tower decides most of what you pay. Some towers are flats, some are hotel apartments, and many are offices only. Most homes are near the water: the Peninsula towers and Executive Towers on the west side, Damac's towers in the middle, and Marasi Drive along the south bank.

These are the towers people search for most that have homes in the Dubai Land Department records. Each card gives the one-bedroom figures for the last 12 months*, because one bedroom is the most common home here. The rent is what new tenants paid. The price is the average of all one-bedroom sales, new and resale.

Other towers people look up, with the same one-bedroom figures:

Our pick for value is Zada Tower. Its one-bedroom flats rented for about AED 71,100 a year, among the lowest here, and with nearly 500 contracts in a year it is easy to compare prices. Reva Residences and Vera Residences cost about the same. How to choose by what matters to you:

• The lowest one-bedroom rents: Vera Residences, Reva Residences and Zada Tower.
• A short walk to the Metro: Executive Towers, above Bay Avenue.
• On the water: the Peninsula towers, Ahad Residences and Binghatti Canal.
• A studio: Damac Maison Privé, Bayz by Danube and Elite Business Bay Residence have the most studio contracts.

Some famous names have too few records to give a fair figure. The Opus had 18 rental contracts in a year and Volante had 7. Jumeirah Living Business Bay, part of the Peninsula, is a branded tower with very high rents.

*This guide was last updated on 28 October 2026, using Dubai Land Department records up to 27 October 2026.

Rent in Business Bay

Every home for rent in Business Bay is a flat, and about four in ten are one-bedroom flats. A one-bedroom flat rents for about AED 94,700 a year ($25,800 · £19,400), and a studio for about AED 67,400. You can also rent a hotel apartment, a room or a bed space.

*This guide was last updated on 28 October 2026, using Dubai Land Department records up to 26 October 2026. Dollar ($) and pound (£) amounts use AED 3.6725 to the US dollar and AED 4.8771 to the British pound (XE mid-market rate, 28 October 2026); your bank's rate will differ.

Apartments for rent in Business Bay

About 8,200 flats were up for rent when this guide was last updated*, so you have a lot of choice. Most landlords want a yearly contract and the rent in a few cheques. Ask how many cheques they take before you agree a price.

Furnished flats are easy to find here. More than half of the flats advertised were furnished, and about 800 were offered by the month. A monthly flat costs far more than a yearly lease, so take one only for a short stay.

See homes for rent:

• Property Finder: apartments for rent in Business Bay, furnished apartments, monthly apartments
• Dubizzle: all homes for rent in Business Bay

Studios for rent in Business Bay

A studio in Business Bay costs about AED 5,600 a month on a yearly lease. About 1,850 studios were up for rent when this guide was last updated. Studios rented in the last three months were cheaper than the yearly average, at about AED 60,900 a year, so do not accept the first price you are given.

Here, a tenant who renews pays less than a new tenant. If you like the flat, staying on is usually cheaper than moving.

See homes for rent:

• Property Finder: studios for rent in Business Bay

One- and two-bedroom flats for rent in Business Bay

One-bedroom flats are the most common home in Business Bay, and the rent changes a lot from tower to tower: from about AED 70,000 in Vera and Reva Residences to more than AED 114,000 in the Peninsula towers (see the tower cards above). About 3,450 one-bedroom and 2,200 two-bedroom flats were up for rent when this guide was last updated*.

Before you sign, ask whether a parking space comes with the flat (see the parking section below).

See homes for rent:

• Property Finder: one-bedroom flats, two-bedroom flats, three-bedroom flats

Hotel apartments for rent in Business Bay

A hotel apartment is a flat inside a hotel building, run by the hotel, often with cleaning and other services. The Dubai Land Department records them as a separate type from ordinary flats. In the last 12 months*, 295 hotel apartments were rented in Business Bay, and new tenants paid about AED 101,700 a year ($27,700 · £20,900) on average, for all sizes together.

An ordinary flat is usually the cheaper choice for a long stay. A hotel apartment suits you if you want bills, cleaning and furniture in one price. Before you sign, ask what the rent includes: DEWA, cooling, internet, cleaning and parking.

Villas and townhouses for rent in Business Bay

Business Bay has no villas or townhouses: every home is in a tower. For a house in the city, look at Jumeirah Park or Mudon.

Rooms, partitions and bed spaces in Business Bay

You can rent a room in Business Bay, and most room adverts here are for a private room in a shared flat. About 60 room adverts were up when this guide was last updated*. Many partitions were in Oval Tower, and private rooms in Executive Towers, Merano Tower and Aykon City.

What the words mean:

• Bed space: a bed in a room you share with others.
• Partition: a part of a room closed off with a light wall.
• Private room: a room of your own in a shared flat.

Sharing a home is now regulated. Dubai's shared housing law, Law No. 4 of 2026, came into force on 8 September 2026. These are its four main rules:

Business Bay is not one of the example areas named so far. Before you pay for a room, a partition or a bed space:

• Ask the person letting it whether the flat has a shared housing permit.
• Ask whether the tower allows shared flats. Many towers here check who lives in each flat.
• See the room before you pay anything.
• Do not pay a deposit until you have a written agreement.

See rooms for rent:

• Dubizzle: rooms, partitions and bed spaces in Business Bay

For cheaper rooms on the Red Line, look at Discovery Gardens.

Property for Sale in Business Bay

A built one-bedroom flat in Business Bay sells for about AED 1.54 million ($418,100 · £314,900), and a built studio for about AED 1.03 million. A flat here earns about 6.9% of its price in rent each year, before costs, against 6.2% for flats across Dubai. Only 44% of the homes sold in the last 12 months* were already built; the rest were off-plan, in new towers.

*This guide was last updated on 28 October 2026, using Dubai Land Department records up to 27 October 2026. Dollar ($) and pound (£) amounts use AED 3.6725 to the US dollar and AED 4.8771 to the British pound (XE mid-market rate, 28 October 2026); your bank's rate will differ.

Apartments for sale in Business Bay

Price per sq ft is the price divided by the size of the home, so you can compare homes of different sizes. About 6,600 flats were for sale when this guide was last updated*, about 1,650 of them studios. With thousands of sales a year, you can check what flats in the same tower sold for before you make an offer.

A hotel apartment costs less to buy than a flat. In the last 12 months*, 299 hotel apartments sold for about AED 1.08 million on average. But the hotel runs the building, the rules on how you use or let the flat can be strict, and the yearly charges can be high. Read the hotel's management contract before you buy.

Before you buy any flat, ask the seller for the latest service charge bill. Read our guide to service charges in Dubai to see what a fair charge looks like.

See homes for sale:

• Property Finder: apartments for sale in Business Bay, studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom
• Dubizzle: all homes for sale in Business Bay

Villas and townhouses for sale in Business Bay

There are no villas or townhouses to buy in Business Bay. For a house, look at Jumeirah Park or Mudon.

Offices for Rent and Sale in Business Bay

Business Bay is one of Dubai's biggest office districts, and many of its towers have offices only. Bay Square, on the east side, is a group of low-rise office buildings.

These are advert counts from when this guide was last updated*. The Land Department records we use cover homes, not offices, so we give no office prices here.

What to know before you rent an office:

• The licence: Business Bay is mainland Dubai, not a free zone. A company here gets its trade licence from Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).
• The lease: the office lease must be registered in Ejari, Dubai's rental contract system, before DET issues the licence.
• A small start: a business centre rents furnished desks and small offices by the month, which suits a new company.

See offices:

• Property Finder: offices for rent in Business Bay, offices for sale

Dubai Canal and the Canal Walk

The Dubai Water Canal is a 3.2 km waterway that starts in Business Bay and runs under Sheikh Zayed Road to the sea at Jumeirah. It opened on 9 November 2016. It passes Safa Park and Al Wasl Road on the way, and it turned the creek into a loop of water through the city.

For people who live here, the canal is the best free thing in Business Bay:

• The canal walk: paths run along both banks, with space for walking, running and cycling. In the cooler months they are busy in the evening.
• The waterfall: water pours from the Sheikh Zayed Road bridge, by Al Habtoor City. Sensors switch it off when a boat passes under.
• Marasi Drive: the road along the south bank, with towers, hotels and restaurants on the water.
• Business Bay Marina: Dubai Properties' marina along the canal, once called Marasi Riverside, with more than 1,250 berths for boats.
• Water transport: there are RTA marine stations along the creek and the canal, such as Business Bay and Marasi. Check the routes and times in the S'hail app, because they change.

Bay Avenue and Bay Square

Bay Avenue and Bay Square are Business Bay's two shopping and eating places, one at each end. Neither is a big mall; for that, The Dubai Mall is next door.

Bay Avenue used to look over a small park. That park was fenced off in June 2023 for new building, so do not plan a visit to it.

Restaurants and Cafes in Business Bay

Business Bay has food for every budget: cheap Indian and Lebanese cafés on Bay Avenue, and expensive restaurants high up in the hotels. Marasi Drive and the canal are the best places for dinner by the water.

Good to know:

• Late at night: on Bay Avenue, Barbar is open until 1 am (2 am on Fridays and Saturdays), and Oventine bakery until 4 am.
• A drink with dinner: the hotel restaurants and bars are licensed, and so are The Banc and Lock, Stock & Barrel.
• An award: Long Teng Seafood won Best Chinese at the Time Out Dubai restaurant awards in 2026.
• Places change often: check that a restaurant is still open before you go.

Supermarkets, Clinics, Mosques and Gyms in Business Bay

Daily basics are in Bay Avenue and Bay Square, and in shops at the foot of many towers. For a big weekly shop or a hospital, you drive a few minutes.

Supermarkets in Business Bay

Choithrams in Bay Avenue is open 24 hours and is the main supermarket on the west side. Other choices:

• W Mart: Bay Avenue.
• Carrefour Market: Damac Maison Privé.
• Small grocery shops: at the foot of many towers.
• A big shop: The Dubai Mall, next door in Downtown Dubai.

Clinics in Business Bay

Aster Clinic and Emirates Hospital Clinic are both in Bay Avenue, and both have doctors for everyday care. Pharmacies:

• Life Pharmacy: Bay Avenue.
• Health First Pharmacy: Bay Avenue.

There is no hospital in Business Bay. The nearest, with emergency departments, are Medcare Hospital in Al Safa (about 2.3 km in a straight line) and Emirates Hospital in Jumeirah (about 3 km).

Mosques in Business Bay

We found no mosque inside Business Bay itself. Ask your building whether it has a prayer room, and use a prayer-times app to find the nearest mosque in the neighbouring areas.

Gyms in Business Bay

Business Bay has three big gyms, and most towers have a gym for residents. Your options:

• Fitness First: Bay Gate.
• UFC Gym: Bay Square Building 1.
• Warehouse Gym: O-14 Tower, opposite U-Bora Towers.
• Your own tower: ask the agent whether it has a gym and a pool for residents.

Schools in Business Bay

There is no school inside Business Bay. The nearest are in Al Wasl, Al Safa and Al Quoz, all within about 3 km, so most children go by car or school bus.

KHDA is the Dubai government office that inspects private schools. Its top ratings are Outstanding, Very good and Good. The ratings below are from KHDA's latest inspections, in 2023-24.

The distances are in a straight line from the middle of Business Bay; by road it is further. Every school's fees are on the KHDA school directory. To compare family areas, read our guide to the best areas to live in Dubai for families.

Nurseries in Business Bay

Business Bay has several nurseries inside the towers. Some of them:

• Learning Tree Nursery: Bay Avenue, Executive Towers.
• Canadian Kids Nursery: Churchill Tower, Marasi Drive.
• Chubby Cheeks Nursery: Regal Tower.

Ask the nursery which ages it takes this year, and check that it is on KHDA's list of licensed early childhood centres.

Getting Around Business Bay

You can live in Business Bay without a car if you choose a tower near the Metro. By car, the area is between three big roads:

• Sheikh Zayed Road (E11) runs along the west side. It takes you to DIFC and Deira one way, and to Al Barsha, Dubai Marina and Abu Dhabi the other.
• Al Khail Road (E44) crosses the east side. It takes you to Al Quoz and Dubai Hills one way, and to Deira and Sharjah the other.
• Financial Centre Road at the north-east end leads to DIFC and Dubai Creek.

These are distances, not times. At rush hour the roads around Business Bay are busy, so allow extra time.

Business Bay Metro Station

Business Bay Metro Station is on the Red Line, on Sheikh Zayed Road at the north-west edge of Business Bay. The next station towards the city is Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall. Neither station has been renamed.

The station is close only to the west side of Business Bay. This is how far you walk:

From the east side, use the RTA feeder buses. They link Business Bay station with Bay Square and the Business Bay 2 bus station on Marasi Drive. Check routes and times in the S'hail app before you rely on one.

A second line is coming. The Dubai Metro Gold Line will meet the Red Line at Business Bay. It is due to open on 9 September 2032.

Parking in Business Bay

Street parking in Business Bay is paid from 8 am to 10 pm, Monday to Saturday, and free on Sundays and public holidays. Parkin, Dubai's parking company, runs it.

How it works:

• Peak hours: many bays in Business Bay are premium bays, which cost more from 8 am to 10 am and from 4 pm to 8 pm. Premium bays have a zone code that ends in P.
• How to pay: in the Parkin app, with the zone code on the sign next to the space. Read the sign, because the price depends on the zone.
• At home: every tower has its own car park. Ask the landlord whether a space comes with the flat, and get it in the contract.

Is Business Bay a Good Place to Live?

Yes, if you want a flat in the centre of Dubai, near Downtown and the canal, for less than Downtown. It is not the right place if you want a villa, a quiet street or a school close by.

On average, a one-bedroom flat in Business Bay rents for about AED 22,300 a year less than in Downtown Dubai next door. It costs about the same as in Dubai Marina, where our guide puts a one-bedroom flat at AED 95,500, and about AED 8,600 more than in JLT. If you would rather live in low-rise blocks on streets made for walking, look at City Walk, but expect to pay more.

Three bills to ask about before you sign:

• Chiller: most towers are cooled by Empower, and cooling usually comes as a bill apart from DEWA. Ask how much last summer's bills were.
• DEWA: you pay DEWA, the water and electricity bill, yourself.
• Service charges: owners pay a yearly charge to run the tower and the community. If you are buying, ask the seller for the latest bill.

If you are buying, the yield here is above the Dubai average for flats, and there are many sales to compare prices with. The main risks are paying an off-plan price for a new tower and the number of new towers still to come. To compare areas, read our guide to rental yield by area in Dubai. Before you make an offer, use our guide on how to check property value in Dubai.