Business Bay Dubai

Business Bay is a mixed-use business and residential district in central Dubai, master-planned by Dubai Properties, part of Dubai Holding. It lies between Sheikh Zayed Road (E11) and Al Khail Road (E44), just south of Downtown Dubai, and the Dubai Water Canal runs through it. Dubai Properties built the main infrastructure and a few landmark buildings, then sold most plots to other developers, which is why Business Bay has dozens of developers and many different towers.

Looking for an apartment or an office in Business Bay? Tell us your budget and we will shortlist the towers that fit.

Where is Business Bay?

Business Bay sits immediately south of Downtown Dubai, on the inland side of Sheikh Zayed Road. Al Khail Road forms its southern and eastern edge, with Al Quoz across the road. To the east it runs towards Ras Al Khor and Dubai Design District (d3); across Sheikh Zayed Road to the west are DIFC, Za'abeel and Al Safa, and across the creek to the north-east is Al Jaddaf. The main internal roads are Al Asayel Street, Al Abraj Street, Marasi Drive and Al Mustaqbal Street, which connects to Downtown.

Business Bay Metro Station and getting around

Business Bay Metro Station is on the Red Line, on Sheikh Zayed Road, between the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall and Onpassive (formerly Al Safa) stations, with a footbridge over Sheikh Zayed Road. It is on the western edge of the district, so towers along the canal or near Al Khail Road are a bus, taxi or 15 to 25 minute walk away. RTA feeder buses serve the station. On the water, the Business Bay side of the canal has four marine stations, including Marasi, Al Wajeha Al Maeyah and Dubai Design District, served by Dubai Ferry and the on-demand Water Taxi and linked to the Dubai Water Canal stations towards Jumeirah.

The Dubai Water Canal in Business Bay

The Business Bay canal began as an extension of Dubai Creek that ended inside the district. The RTA's Dubai Water Canal extended it under Sheikh Zayed Road, past Safa Park, Al Wasl Road and Jumeirah Road to the Arabian Gulf, making one waterway from the Creek to the sea. For property, the canal created canal-facing residential and hotel plots on both banks, a promenade used for running and cycling, and a water transport link. The Business Bay side of the canal is where most new launches in the district are.

Apartments for sale in Business Bay

Business Bay apartments for sale range from studios in older mid-rise towers to large canal-view apartments and penthouses in newer high-rises:

• Freehold residential towers from the first wave, typically studios to three-bedroom units.
• Branded and hotel-managed residences, such as DAMAC Maison buildings, JW Marriott Marquis and the Al Habtoor City towers (Noora, Amna and Meera).
• Newer canal-front projects, many by Binghatti, Omniyat, Sobha, Seven Tides and Emaar.
• Mixed towers with offices on some floors and homes on others.

There are no villas or townhouses in Business Bay; buyers who want a low-rise family home look at Al Safa, Al Wasl or Mohammed Bin Rashid City instead. The towers Laguna Life currently lists in Business Bay are shown below with their starting prices and expected handover.

Want to compare a canal-front tower with one near the metro? Book a call and we will walk you through both.

Offices and shops for sale in Business Bay

Business Bay is one of Dubai's main freehold office districts, with a large number of office towers. Office towers most agents will recognise include The Opus, One by Omniyat, The Binary and Bayswater (all Omniyat), Bay Square (Dubai Properties), Aspect Tower in the Executive Towers cluster, Churchill Executive Tower, The Citadel, Clover Bay Tower, Ubora Towers, The Prime Tower, Westburry Tower, Capital Golden Tower, Tamani Arts Offices, Oxford Tower, Iris Bay, B2B Tower, Silver Tower, Vision Tower and Marasi Business Bay. Grades range from Grade A in the Omniyat and Dubai Properties buildings to older shell-and-core towers.

Offices here are sold in strata, so an office for sale can be a half-floor unit, a full floor or several combined floors, owned by individuals and small companies rather than one landlord. Buyers are mostly owner-occupiers, such as consultancies, trading firms, clinics, brokers, and law and accountancy practices, along with investors. Shops sit in tower podiums, on ground floors facing the internal streets, and in the open-air retail at Bay Avenue and Bay Square. Read more in our guide to Business Bay offices and retail.

Schools, clinics and shopping near Business Bay

There are no schools inside Business Bay, but several are a 5 to 15 minute drive away: Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS) and GEMS Jumeirah Primary School in Al Safa 1, Horizon English School and Dubai British School Jumeira off Al Wasl Road, Safa British School in Al Quoz, Lycée Français Jean Mermoz in Al Quoz 1 and Hartland International School in Sobha Hartland. Nurseries inside the district include Learning Tree Nursery in Bay Avenue, Maple Bear Nursery in Burlington Tower and Canadian Kids Nursery in Churchill Towers.

Clinics operate inside the towers, including Emirates Hospital Clinic and Aster Clinic in Bay Avenue and Salus Clinic on Marasi Drive; Mediclinic City Hospital in Dubai Healthcare City and Emirates Hospital Jumeirah are the nearest full hospitals. Bay Avenue and Bay Square have supermarkets, pharmacies, cafés and restaurants, and The Dubai Mall is one metro stop or about a 10 minute drive away.

Why buy in Business Bay: for living and for investment

For living, Business Bay suits people who work in Downtown, DIFC, Sheikh Zayed Road or Business Bay itself and want to live close by, with the metro, the canal promenade and The Dubai Mall nearby. For investment, it offers a deep market of apartments, branded residences and strata offices in central Dubai, with demand from professionals and from companies that want a central Dubai address. Because the district has so many developers and towers of different ages, the building and its position (canal-front, Downtown edge, Al Khail Road edge or the interior blocks) matter more than the district name. It suits less well families who want a school within walking distance or quiet streets.

If you are weighing Business Bay against other central areas, read Business Bay vs Dubai Creek Harbour: how to choose, Dubai Marina, Downtown or Business Bay for investment and our Business Bay property guide.

Ready to see what is available in Business Bay? Call or WhatsApp +971 56 100 0928 and ask us for prices.