1. Definition of the area and data structure
Actual location: according to DLD, The Quayside is located in Business Bay and belongs to the Business Bay master project.
A total of 114 transactions have been recorded for the building, including 48 transactions for 1BR apartments. This means the sample size for analysis is sufficiently representative. DLD shows no rental contracts either for the building itself or for the master project; therefore, rental rate and yield analysis is only possible at the wider Business Bay district level.
2. Liquidity of the property and the area
Over the past year, several dozen transactions for 1BR units have been concluded in The Quayside (by quarter in 2024: 43, 14, 27, 14 deals), which demonstrates stable investment and end-user demand — very strong figures for a new building.
Across Business Bay, the number of 1BR transactions over the entire observation period is in the tens of thousands; district-level liquidity is also high.
There are no active rental contracts in DLD for The Quayside building or its master project at the time of analysis, likely due to the building’s recent completion or the registration structure. In Business Bay, there is sufficient data on large 1BR rental deals over recent years; the rental market is developing actively and remains in strong demand.
3. Price dynamics over 3–5 years
The Quayside (1BR, sales):
The average price per m² is significantly above the district level, reflecting the building’s premium positioning. In the quarters of 2024, the average price per m² remained in the 25,600–26,450 AED range, with a slight correction in the second half of the year. Over the last 12 months, the average achieved price based on actual DLD transactions was around 24,540 AED/m².
In Business Bay for 1BR units, the dynamics are as follows: until 2022, prices were in the 13,000–17,000 AED/m² range, followed by steady growth — by the end of 2023, average 1BR values reached 21,500–23,000 AED/m². Over the last 12 months, the average district price according to DLD has reached 24,120 AED/m², indicating that prices in The Quayside and the wider area are converging in new deals.
Distribution of sizes and prices:
In The Quayside, 1BR sizes range from 70.7 to 91.5 m², and average prices per m² in individual transactions fall within 23,700–29,880 AED.
In Business Bay, the spread is extremely wide (up to 1,645 m², from 116 to 112,424 AED/m²), so district-level analysis must account for distortions caused by outliers.
4. Dynamics and level of rental rates
For The Quayside building and its master project, there are no registered rental data in DLD at the time of analysis. As a result, it is not possible to assess rental dynamics and average rental levels specifically for this building.
For Business Bay (DLD data for recent years, all residential apartments):
The average rental rate over the last 12 months was 1,310 AED/m² per year. Since 2020, the district rate has increased from 700–900 AED/m² to current levels, with the largest jump in 2023. By quarters in 2024, values have consistently exceeded 1,150–1,250 AED/m².
5. “Building vs. district” comparison and investment fairness
The Quayside 1BR:
Average sales price per m² over the last 12 months: 24,540 AED.
There are no data on rental rates and ROI for the building — no registered contracts.
Business Bay (1BR):
Average sales price per m² over the last 12 months: 24,120 AED.
Average rental rate per m² over the last 12 months: 1,310 AED/m²/year.
Gross yield (ROI):
District ROI = 1,310 / 24,120 ≈ 5.4% per annum (gross, before expenses).
Approximate net adjustment (including 7–8% entry costs):
ROI_net ~ 5.0% per annum.
6. “Fair price range” for a 7–8% annual yield
For Business Bay, in order for an investor to achieve 7–8% per annum based on DLD rental contracts, the fair purchase price of an apartment should be in the following range:
– by formula: 1,310 / 0.08 = 16,375 AED/m² (for 8%)
– 1,310 / 0.07 = 18,714 AED/m² (for 7% per annum)
So the fair range for an investor is roughly 16,400–18,700 AED/m².
The current actual average price according to DLD exceeds this range by 29–50%, which means new buyers are entering the market with a yield noticeably below 7% per year (based on official DLD transactions).
7. Conclusions and outlook
Liquidity in The Quayside is excellent: a fast-growing asset with confirmed demand in actual transactions. The obvious trend of convergence between the price level of premium new buildings and the long-term district average has been confirmed — previously, residential complexes commanded a higher premium over the district; now this differentiation has narrowed due to the overall price growth in Business Bay.
The yield on new purchases based on official DLD data is significantly below the target “investment yield of 7–8%”: current sales in The Quayside and in the district provide only 5.0–5.4% per annum gross, i.e. before all mandatory expenses. To reach the desired yield level, an investor would need either a purchase discount of around 20–30% relative to current average prices, or access to premium rental rates (which is not supported by official DLD contracts as of today).
In the rental scenario, there are risks of under-occupancy (no DLD rental records at least for the building and master project at the time of analysis), and a fair price calculation is only possible at the district level.
Liquidity potential is strong both for The Quayside and for Business Bay as a whole. However, new purchases on the open DLD market imply low investment yields relative to the desired threshold — this should be factored into both personal acquisition strategies and negotiations with sellers.
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