What Does an Office Fit-Out Actually Cost in Dubai?
Ask five contractors and you'll get five different numbers. The honest answer is that Dubai fit-out pricing spans AED 130 to over 510 per square foot — a range so wide it's almost meaningless without context. The missing variable is nearly always location.
A mid-range fit-out in DIFC will run you roughly the same as a high-end build in Dubai Internet City. That's not because contractors charge more in the financial district for the fun of it. It's because landlord design codes are tighter, authority approval processes differ, logistics access is more constrained in dense tower clusters, and the baseline tenant expectation of quality is categorically different.
We've spent over 15 years delivering fit-outs across Dubai's commercial districts. The rates below are drawn from our own project records and reflect what we're consistently seeing in the market heading into 2026. They're not theoretical — they're based on what things actually cost when the final invoice lands.
Dubai Fit-Out Costs by Zone (AED Per Sq Ft)
These figures assume a turnkey Category A fit-out including design, MEP works, joinery, furniture, and authority approvals. Shell & Core spaces will run higher — more on that below.
| Zone | Tier | Light | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIFC | Premium | 241–297 | 297–372 | 372–510 |
| Downtown Dubai | Premium | 235–290 | 290–365 | 365–500 |
| One Central | Premium | 230–280 | 280–355 | 355–490 |
| Business Bay | Prime | 200–265 | 265–350 | 350–490 |
| Sheikh Zayed Road | Prime | 192–255 | 255–340 | 340–480 |
| D3 / Design District | Prime | 184–245 | 245–325 | 325–460 |
| Dubai Marina | Prime | 180–240 | 240–320 | 320–450 |
| Dubai Media City | Standard | 175–234 | 234–312 | 312–440 |
| Dubai Internet City | Standard | 175–234 | 234–312 | 312–440 |
| JLT | Standard | 167–223 | 223–297 | 297–418 |
| JVC | Value | 159–212 | 212–282 | 282–397 |
| DAFZA | Value | 159–212 | 212–282 | 282–397 |
| Dubai Silicon Oasis | Value | 154–205 | 205–273 | 273–384 |
| Al Furjan | Value | 150–200 | 200–267 | 267–376 |
| Expo City | Emerging | 147–196 | 196–261 | 261–368 |
| Dubai South | Emerging | 142–190 | 190–252 | 252–355 |
Key Insight
At standard specification, the spread between DIFC and Dubai South is roughly 47%. On a 5,000 sq ft project, that's a budget difference north of AED 500,000. Where you choose to set up is one of the biggest financial decisions in the entire fit-out process.
Visualising the Zone Premium
The bars below show standard-grade fit-out cost indexed against JLT as the baseline. If JLT is 1.00x, everything else is a premium above or a discount below that anchor point.
Standard Fit-Out: Relative Cost by Zone
JLT = 1.00x baseline
Shell & Core vs Category A: The Budget Gap Nobody Warns You About
This is probably the most misunderstood part of fit-out budgeting in Dubai, and we see it trip up tenants constantly — particularly those relocating from markets where the distinction doesn't exist in the same way.
Shell & Core
You're handed a raw concrete box. No raised floors, no ceiling grid, no distributed air conditioning, no electrical points beyond a main panel. Every mechanical, electrical, and plumbing system has to be designed and installed from zero. This is increasingly common in newer towers and master-planned free zones. Expect to pay 40–60% more than the equivalent Cat A fit-out, because you're not just finishing the space — you're building its entire operating infrastructure.
Category A
The landlord delivers base building services: raised access flooring (or screed-ready substrate), a suspended ceiling grid with basic lighting, HVAC distribution to a standard layout, fire detection and suppression, and often basic toilet facilities. Your fit-out covers partitions, finishes, joinery, furniture, IT cabling, and any HVAC reconfiguration needed for your specific layout.
Watch Out
When comparing two lease options, don't just look at the rent per sq ft. A Shell & Core unit at AED 120/sq ft annual rent might look cheaper than a Cat A unit at AED 160/sq ft — but the extra AED 150–250/sq ft in fit-out cost to bring the S&C space up to the same standard can easily erase that saving over a typical lease term.
What Do These Rates Include?
Our pricing reflects turnkey delivery from initial design through to handover on a Category A space. Here's how that typically breaks down at standard specification.
MEP Works (35–45% of total) — modifications to air conditioning layout, electrical distribution and power points, plumbing for pantry and washroom upgrades, fire alarm integration with the building's central system, and BMS tie-in where the landlord requires it. This is consistently the single largest cost line and the one most often underestimated.
Joinery & Finishes (20–30%) — partitioning (glass, drywall, acoustic panels), ceiling modifications, flooring (carpet tile, LVT, porcelain — the choice matters more than people think), wall treatments, and feature elements like reception counters, boardroom panelling, or branded entry walls.
Furniture & Fixtures (15–25%) — workstations and task chairs, executive furniture, meeting tables, storage systems, breakout and collaboration furniture, and soft furnishings. The spread here is enormous — you can furnish a 3,000 sq ft office for AED 120,000 or AED 600,000 depending on specification.
Design, Management & Approvals (8–12%) — architectural and interior design, MEP engineering, project management, authority submissions (DCD, DEWA, Municipality or the relevant free zone), landlord liaison, and as-built documentation at handover.
IT & AV Infrastructure (5–10%) — structured cabling runs, network switches and patch panels, Wi-Fi access points, meeting room AV (screens, video conferencing, speakers), and access control or visitor management systems. Often handled by a specialist subcontractor.
What Pushes Costs Up — and What Brings Them Down
Things that increase your budget
Prestige districts. DIFC and Downtown aren't just expensive because of location cachet. Their design codes are genuinely more prescriptive — glass partitions, stone or timber finishes, integrated AV, and sophisticated lighting schemes are often the baseline, not upgrades. Your "standard" in DIFC is someone else's "premium" in JLT.
Starting from Shell & Core. As covered above, you're adding the full MEP backbone on top of the fit-out itself. It's not a small uplift.
Importing materials. Specifying Italian stone, European timber cladding, or branded European lighting adds both direct cost and lead time. Lead time is its own cost — delays push your rent-free period and you end up paying rent on a space you can't occupy.
Compressed programmes. Asking a contractor to deliver in 6 weeks what normally takes 10 means overtime labour, expedited material orders, and weekend working. Budget a 10–20% premium for genuine fast-track delivery.
Things that reduce your budget
Choosing emerging zones. Dubai South, Expo City, and parts of DSO have newer building stock with better Cat A provisions, simpler logistics access, and less onerous design codes. The savings are real and the infrastructure is increasingly excellent.
Sourcing locally. UAE and GCC-manufactured furniture, ceiling systems, and finishes have improved dramatically in quality. Switching from imported to regional products can cut 20–40% from specific cost lines without a noticeable difference in the finished result.
Building in summer. June through August is traditionally quieter for Dubai's construction sector. Contractors are more available, subcontractor rates soften, and many firms will sharpen their pricing to keep teams busy. If your timeline allows it, this is the sweet spot.
Using a single design-build contractor. Splitting design, engineering, and construction across separate firms creates interface risk, coordination overhead, and finger-pointing when things don't align. An integrated approach — one team from concept through handover — typically delivers 10–15% in savings and significantly fewer headaches.
Realistic Timelines
These assume standard specification on a Cat A space, with design substantially complete before site mobilisation. Real-world timelines stretch when design decisions drag or authority submissions hit complications.
Under 1,000 sq ft — 4 to 6 weeks on site, plus 2–3 weeks for approvals. Common for small professional offices in JLT, Media City, or Business Bay.
1,000 to 3,000 sq ft — 6 to 10 weeks. This is the most common bracket for SME and mid-market offices. The bulk of our project portfolio sits in this range.
3,000 to 10,000 sq ft — 10 to 14 weeks. At this scale, phased handover becomes practical — reception and meeting rooms first, then open-plan and back-of-house areas to follow.
Over 10,000 sq ft — 14 to 20+ weeks. Large corporate headquarters, particularly in DIFC or Downtown, often involve extended design phases, multiple stakeholder sign-offs, and coordination with building management on logistics access windows.
From Experience
The most common cause of project delay isn't slow construction — it's late design decisions and procrastination on authority submissions. Start your fit-out planning the week your lease terms are agreed, not the week you get the keys.
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Guide
Published by TR Design Build, a commercial interior fit-out contractor with over 15 years of experience delivering projects across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, Doha, and Muscat. The rates in this guide are derived from our own project portfolio and reflect current market conditions as of early 2026.
We update this page quarterly. For project-specific budgeting, try our free cost calculator or get in touch for a consultation.