--- title: "Dubai vs Hong Kong: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Dubai and Hong Kong — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/dubai-vs-hong-kong pageType: comparison lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Dubai ($39/sqft, 5.8% vacancy) and Hong Kong ($123/sqft, 12.8% vacancy) compete on different axes: Dubai on rent and tax and Hong Kong on talent depth. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Dubai $39/sqft vs Hong Kong $123/sqft. - Vacancy: Dubai 5.8% vs Hong Kong 12.8%. - Talent index: Dubai 78 vs Hong Kong 88. - Corporate tax: Dubai 9% vs Hong Kong 16.5%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Dubai $980 vs Hong Kong $1,320. # Dubai vs Hong Kong: Class A office comparison **Dubai ($39/sqft, 5.8% vacancy) and Hong Kong ($123/sqft, 12.8% vacancy) compete on different axes: Dubai on rent and tax and Hong Kong on talent depth.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Dubai $39/sqft vs Hong Kong $123/sqft. - Vacancy: Dubai 5.8% vs Hong Kong 12.8%. - Talent index: Dubai 78 vs Hong Kong 88. - Corporate tax: Dubai 9% vs Hong Kong 16.5%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Dubai $980 vs Hong Kong $1,320. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Dubai | Hong Kong| | Region | EMEA | APAC| | Country | United Arab Emirates | Hong Kong SAR| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $39 | $123| | Class A rent (local) | 145 AED | 80 HKD| | Vacancy | 5.8% | 12.8%| | Trend | rising | softening| | Prime yield | 7.5% | 3.4%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $980 | $1,320| | Submarkets covered | 6 | 5| | Corporate tax | 9% | 16.5%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Dubai | Hong Kong| | Typical term | 3 yrs | 3 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 3 mos | 8 mos| | Lease norms | Standard lease 3 years with annual rent escalators (typically 5%) and a renewal option. Service charges billed separately. Security deposit of 5-10% standard. Ejari (lease registration) is mandatory. | Hong Kong leases are typically 3 years (with renewal option) or 6 years on the trophy tier. Rent-free of 6-12 months on a 3-year term is current market. Rent is gross with management fees billed separately. Stamp duty is payable on lease execution. Bank guarantees of 3 months are standard.| | Tax note | Federal corporate tax of 9% on profits over AED 375,000 — applied since 2023. No personal income tax. No VAT on commercial leases (5% VAT on most other goods/services). | Profits tax at 16.5% (8.25% on the first HKD 2 million for qualifying entities). No VAT, no capital gains tax, no withholding tax on dividends.| ## Talent | Metric | Dubai | Hong Kong| | Talent index (0–100) | 78 | 88| | Talent note | Deepest cross-border financial-services and consulting talent pool in the Middle East. Average all-in compensation indexes 78. | Premium financial-services talent depth, particularly for cross-border China-mainland mandates. Average all-in compensation indexes 88 vs. New York's 100.| ## Transit & commute **Dubai:** Dubai Metro Red Line connects [DIFC](/glossary/difc), Downtown, Internet City. Etihad Rail commuter network is in development. **Hong Kong:** MTR coverage across the entire Class A footprint. Airport Express to Chek Lap Kok in 24 minutes from Central. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and Express Rail to Shenzhen and Guangzhou support cross-border occupier strategies. ## Top submarkets — Dubai - [**DIFC**](/cities/dubai/difc) — trophy tier · AED 380/sqft/yr · ≈ $103 PSF/yr USD - [**Downtown Dubai**](/cities/dubai/downtown-dubai) — trophy tier · AED 75/sqft/yr · ≈ $20.4 PSF/yr USD - [**Downtown / Business Bay**](/cities/dubai/downtown-business-bay) — prime tier · AED 220/sqft/yr · ≈ $59.8 PSF/yr USD ## Top submarkets — Hong Kong - [**Central**](/cities/hong-kong/central) — trophy tier · HK$130/sqft/mo · ≈ $200 PSF/yr USD - [**Admiralty**](/cities/hong-kong/admiralty) — prime tier · HK$110/sqft/mo · ≈ $169 PSF/yr USD - [**West Kowloon**](/cities/hong-kong/west-kowloon) — prime tier · HK$95/sqft/mo · ≈ $146 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Dubai is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Hong Kong has the deeper talent index (88/100 vs 78/100). ### Pick by tax Dubai has the lower headline corporate tax (9% vs 16.5%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Dubai typical term is 3 years with 3 months free; Hong Kong runs 3 years with 8 months free. ### Pick by transit Dubai: Dubai Metro Red Line connects DIFC, Downtown, Internet City. Etihad Rail commuter network is in development. Hong Kong: MTR coverage across the entire Class A footprint. Airport Express to Chek Lap Kok in 24 minutes from Central. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and Express Rail to Shenzhen and Guangzhou support cross-border occupier strategies. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Dubai, Hong Kong and up to two more markets side-by-side on Class A rent, vacancy, talent, corporate tax, and premium flex pricing — all in USD. [**Run a 4-city comparison →**](/tools/city-comparator) ## Frequently asked questions ****Is Class A office cheaper in Dubai or Hong Kong?**** : Dubai is cheaper on a USD basis: $39/sqft vs $123/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Dubai or Hong Kong?**** : Hong Kong indexes higher on talent depth (88 vs 78). ****Which has more sublease availability, Dubai or Hong Kong?**** : Hong Kong carries higher vacancy (12.8% vs 5.8%) and therefore typically more sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Dubai vs Hong Kong?**** : Dubai typical term is 3 years with 3 months rent-free; Hong Kong typical term is 3 years with 8 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : Dubai: Dubai Metro Red Line connects DIFC, Downtown, Internet City. Etihad Rail commuter network is in development. Hong Kong: MTR coverage across the entire Class A footprint. Airport Express to Chek Lap Kok in 24 minutes from Central. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and Express Rail to Shenzhen and Guangzhou support cross-border occupier strategies. ## Editorial provenance Reviewed by [**Samuel Okafor**](/about/authors/samuel-okafor) — EMEA contributing editor. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our [methodology](/about/methodology) and [editorial standards](/about/editorial-standards). ### Primary sources for this page - [CBRE Marketview reports](https://www.cbre.com/insights) — CBRE - [JLL Office Insight](https://www.jll.com/en/trends-and-insights) — JLL - [Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat](https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/insights) — Cushman & Wakefield - [Savills World Research](https://www.savills.com/research_articles/) — Savills - [Colliers Global Office Outlook](https://www.colliers.com/en/research) — Colliers [Full sources index](/about/sources) · [Submit a correction](/about/corrections) --- Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/compare/dubai-vs-hong-kong), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.