Areas › Compare › Business Bay vs Al Reem Island
Business Bay vs Al Reem Island (Dubai and Abu Dhabi)
Business Bay: A mixed commercial and residential district next to Downtown Dubai along the Dubai Water Canal, with dense high-rise apartments and offices and a steady pipeline of off-plan launches.
Al Reem Island: An island next to central Abu Dhabi with dense high-rise apartments; the best-known investment zone open to foreign buyers, with deep rental and resale markets.
In short: Al Reem Island for a lower price per sq ft, price momentum and yield (as of the data date; individual properties vary widely).
Price level: the three-month median is AED 2,151 per sq ft in Business Bay and AED 1,611 in Al Reem Island. Business Bay is 34% more expensive.
For studios: AED 2,503 vs 1,710 per sq ft (last 12 months).
Trend: the mix-adjusted price index is -5.1% year on year in Business Bay and +9.8% in Al Reem Island (-2.7% / +1.5% over three months). Al Reem Island is stronger.
Activity: 1,291 residential sales in Business Bay over three months (-72% y/y) vs 1,425 in Al Reem Island (-27% y/y); off-plan share 36% vs 76%.
Yield: indicative gross yield 5.0% in Business Bay and 5.8% in Al Reem Island (Dubai from rent contracts, Abu Dhabi from published averages — not computed the same way).
Supply: completions due within 12 months — Business Bay 14,726 units (2.9× annual sales), Al Reem Island no registry data (Abu Dhabi).
Market phase: Business Bay correction (stress 42.1), Al Reem Island recovery (stress 29.8).
| Business Bay | Al Reem Island | |
|---|---|---|
| AED / sq ft (3-month median) | 2,151 | 1,611 |
| Price, year on year | -5.1% | +9.8% |
| Price, 3 months | -2.7% | +1.5% |
| Sales (3 months) | 1,291 | 1,425 |
| Sales, year on year | -72% | -27% |
| Off-plan share | 36% | 76% |
| Gross yield | 5.0% | 5.8% |
| Phase | correction | recovery |
| Stress | 42.1 | 29.8 |
Data as of 2026-10-11. The price index compares like-for-like sales (same project and unit type). Area detail: Business Bay · Al Reem Island.
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Sources: Dubai Land Department (DLD Open Data; Dubai sales before 2026 via the CC BY 4.0 republication by Dubai Real Estate Data, dubairealestatedata.com), Ejari rent contracts, Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC), FRED, New York Fed, US Treasury. Residential (apartment and villa) sales only; cells with fewer than 5 sales are hidden. Information only, not investment advice.