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1. Definition of the district and data structure
Actual location: The Quayside building is located in Business Bay; the master project coincides with the district — Business Bay (according to DLD data).
DLD data confirms 114 transactions for this building, with deals starting in February 2024. There are no rental contracts in DLD yet for The Quayside itself, which is typical for new projects (especially off-plan). For a correct analysis of the rental market and yields, we use Business Bay studio apartments as a benchmark.
2. Market activity and liquidity. Transaction frequency
Since The Quayside entered the market (early 2024), there has been a high concentration of transactions in Q1 2024 (43 sales), followed by a moderate decline in activity in Q2–Q4 2024 (14, 27, 14 deals respectively). From 2025 onwards, only isolated transactions have been recorded — this is expected for a new project: the main sales volume typically falls at the launch stage.
The size of studio apartments in the building is almost fully standardized (50.25–50.3 m²), reflecting the project’s contemporary concept.
3. Price dynamics. Building and district
The average price per m² for studios in The Quayside over the last 12 months was 28,567 AED/m². The transaction range: from 24,847 to 29,821 AED/m². Quarterly dynamics in 2024 remained consistently high, with minimal fluctuations in the 26,900–27,900 AED/m² range, and a slight increase recorded in Q4 2024.
For comparison, the average price of studios in Business Bay over the last 12 months is 27,896 AED/m². Quarterly dynamics show a steady increase as new projects come to market: in 2024, prices in The Quayside stayed at or slightly above the district average. Over the past 2 years, Business Bay has demonstrated a pronounced price increase from 23,600 AED/m² (early 2023) to 28,000–28,800 AED/m² in 2024.
Thus, The Quayside is offered at or with a small premium to the average district price for new studios.
4. Rental market and yield (ROI) calculation
There is no rental data yet for The Quayside itself (no completed and registered market contracts). To calculate potential yield, it is reasonable to use the market benchmark for studios in Business Bay.
Over the last 12 months, the average annual rent for studios in Business Bay according to DLD was 1,601 AED/m² (more than 3,900 contracts were taken into account, which ensures statistical robustness of the data). The rental area range is from 25 to 130 m² (the typical studio size matches the layouts in The Quayside).
Dynamics for 2020–2024: a clearly pronounced increase in rates — from around 900–1,050 AED/m² (2020–2022) to 1,500–1,600 AED/m² (2023–2024). This confirms strong demand and an active recovery of the Business Bay market after the pandemic.
5. ROI. Comparison with the “fair investment price”
– Data for calculation:
– Current average sale price of a studio in The Quayside: 28,567 AED/m² (based on actual deals over 12 months).
– Current average rental level for studios in Business Bay: 1,601 AED/m² per year.
– ROI_brutto (district-based calculation): 1,601 / 28,567 ≈ 5.6%
– It is not possible to correctly calculate ROI_brutto for the building itself — there is no valid base of rental contracts for this specific property.
– After adjusting for all transactional and associated costs (≈ 7–8% of the purchase price), the net yield will be 7–8% lower, i.e. ROI_net is approximately 5.2–5.3% per annum for new investors.
– Comparison with the “fair price range” for a target yield of 7–8%:
– Theoretical fair price for an investor at a target yield of 7–8%: 1,601 / 0.08 = 20,013 AED/m² (for 8%), 1,601 / 0.07 = 22,871 AED/m² (for 7%).
– Current transactions are taking place 20–40% above this range. This is typical pricing at the primary sales stage of new projects with high demand and a marketing premium.
6. General conclusions and outlook
– The Quayside is a new building with a high concentration of primary transactions in early 2024; studio sizes are fully standardized.
– In terms of pricing, The Quayside is at the upper end of the district market, reflecting strong demand for new projects in Business Bay.
– The rental market in Business Bay is currently very active: average rental growth for 2022–2024 is at least +40%. However, there is still no rental history for The Quayside in the DLD database, so any potential investor income may differ from the district benchmark.
– Potential market-level yield for studios in Business Bay is 5.5–5.6% (gross, before costs), which is noticeably below the traditional target benchmark of 7–8%. For a purchase aimed at rental income at current prices, investors need to rely on capital appreciation, as the payback rate is less attractive for purely passive income.
– Liquidity in the primary market is high; the future resale potential and actual rental levels for The Quayside can only be adequately assessed after the first rental contracts are registered in DLD.
7. Structure and risks
– Transactions in the building are very recent, and market sentiment may change as the first tenants enter the market.
– When analysing individual units, it is important to additionally assess view, floor, and layout — DLD records for studios are extremely homogeneous.
– Any future yield assessment for The Quayside must be updated once registered rental transactions for this specific building appear.
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