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1. Definition of the area and data structure
Actual location: The Quayside building is located in the Business Bay district and the Business Bay master project according to DLD data. For the analysis, only transactions in this building were used, filtered for 2-bedroom apartments. At the time of analysis, there were no rental data in DLD specifically for The Quayside, so rental benchmarks were calculated at the Business Bay district level for residential units.
2. Dynamics and frequency of sale transactions
A total of 114 transactions have been recorded in The Quayside since 2024. Active sales/registration of deals took place by quarter: at the peak (Q1 2024) there were 43 transactions, followed by 14, 27 and 14 in the next three quarters. Several more deals were recorded in 2025; however, when assessing the market, future periods are ignored. Thus, the dynamics reflect current demand for units in this building.
3. Dynamics of the average price per square meter
For The Quayside (2-bedroom apartments, valid transactions):
– Over 2024 the average price per m² has remained in the range of 26,500–29,000 AED per m², with an average over the last 12 months of 27,375 AED per m².
– For comparison: across the entire Business Bay district for 2-bedroom apartments over the same periods, the average price per m² is about 23,030 AED per m².
– The price premium of The Quayside over the district average exceeds 18–20%.
4. Market rental level and rate distribution
There are no rental data in DLD (either for the specific building or even for the master project) – this is clearly due to the recent completion of the building and the fact that rental contracts appear in bulk later. Therefore, to estimate current rental yields, we have to rely on valid figures for the entire Business Bay district. Based on more than 82,000 contracts, the average annual rent per m² in the district over the last 12 months is 1,308 AED/m² for residential apartments.
5. ROI (return on investment) and investment range
Sales data per m² (The Quayside 2BR): 27,375 AED/m² (last 12 months).
Rental data per m² (Business Bay, all apartments): 1,308 AED/m² per year (last 12 months).
Rough yield calculation (gross ROI): 1,308 / 27,375 = 4.8% per annum.
After deducting standard costs (around 7% for entry and related expenses), net yield (net ROI) falls to roughly 4.5%.
For an investor targeting a yield of 7–8% per annum, the fair purchase price range in Business Bay would be (if based solely on current DLD rental data):
– at 8%: 16,350 AED/m²
– at 7%: 18,690 AED/m²
The current market price in The Quayside (27,375 AED/m²) is significantly above the realistic investment range for a 7–8% annual yield and indicates a premium for a new building, status or location prospects, or a market overvaluation.
6. Liquidity outlook and market demand
Purchase demand: the volume of recent transactions in The Quayside indicates high liquidity of this new development against the backdrop of a rental track record that is only just forming. Business Bay remains one of the most active districts in Dubai in terms of both sales turnover and leasing, which supports the fundamental liquidity of projects.
Rental demand: district-wide demand is consistently high; rental rates have risen significantly over the past 2–3 years (from ~900 AED/m² in 2020–2021 to 1,300+ AED/m² in 2023–2024), which limits the risk of yield compression over a 3–5 year horizon.
7. Conclusion
The Quayside is priced noticeably above the district average and demonstrates strong liquidity among new developments; however, at the current price level it is impossible to achieve a market yield of 7–8% per annum from rentals (based on actual DLD data for Business Bay) without a substantial discount. A purchase may be justified either if one is targeting further capital appreciation, or with an exit strategy other than classic long-term leasing.
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