--- title: "Dubai vs Riyadh: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Dubai and Riyadh — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/dubai-vs-riyadh 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 Riyadh ($55/sqft, 4.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Dubai on talent depth and Riyadh on talent depth. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Dubai $39/sqft vs Riyadh $55/sqft. - Vacancy: Dubai 5.8% vs Riyadh 4.6%. - Talent index: Dubai 78 vs Riyadh 78. - Corporate tax: Dubai 9% vs Riyadh 20%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Dubai $980 vs Riyadh $720. # Dubai vs Riyadh: Class A office comparison **Dubai ($39/sqft, 5.8% vacancy) and Riyadh ($55/sqft, 4.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Dubai on talent depth and Riyadh on talent depth.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Dubai $39/sqft vs Riyadh $55/sqft. - Vacancy: Dubai 5.8% vs Riyadh 4.6%. - Talent index: Dubai 78 vs Riyadh 78. - Corporate tax: Dubai 9% vs Riyadh 20%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Dubai $980 vs Riyadh $720. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Dubai | Riyadh| | Region | EMEA | EMEA| | Country | United Arab Emirates | Saudi Arabia| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $39 | $55| | Class A rent (local) | 145 AED | 2200 SAR| | Vacancy | 5.8% | 4.6%| | Trend | rising | rising| | Prime yield | 7.5% | 6.8%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $980 | $720| | Submarkets covered | 6 | 5| | Corporate tax | 9% | 20%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Dubai | Riyadh| | Typical term | 3 yrs | 5 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 3 mos | 4 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. | Net leases. 5-year terms with renewal options standard. Free rent of 3-6 months on a 5-year Class A deal.| | 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). | 20% Saudi corporate income tax for non-Saudi/GCC owned entities. Zakat 2.5% on net assets for Saudi/GCC owners. RHQ program offers 30-year tax holiday for qualifying multinational HQs.| ## Talent | Metric | Dubai | Riyadh| | Talent index (0–100) | 78 | 78| | Talent note | Deepest cross-border financial-services and consulting talent pool in the Middle East. Average all-in compensation indexes 78. | Growing tech, finance, and professional services talent. Strong Saudi national talent pipeline through Vision 2030 education programs. Saudization (Nitaqat) program requires meeting Saudi national employment quotas.| ## Transit & commute **Dubai:** Dubai Metro Red Line connects [DIFC](/glossary/difc), Downtown, Internet City. Etihad Rail commuter network is in development. **Riyadh:** Riyadh Metro (six lines, opening progressively from 2024-25). King Khalid International Airport (RUH) bus-served; Metro link planned. Heavy car dependency outside the urban core. ## Top submarkets — Dubai - [**DIFC**](/cities/dubai/difc) — [trophy tier](/topics/trophy-asset-selection) · 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 — Riyadh - [**KAFD (King Abdullah Financial District)**](/cities/riyadh/kafd) — trophy tier · SAR 2,400/sqm/yr · ≈ $59.5 PSF/yr USD - [**Olaya**](/cities/riyadh/olaya) — trophy tier · SAR 2,300/sqm/yr · ≈ $57.1 PSF/yr USD - [**King Fahd Road**](/cities/riyadh/king-fahd-road) — trophy tier · SAR 2,100/sqm/yr · ≈ $52.1 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Dubai is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Talent data not available for comparison. ### Pick by tax Dubai has the lower headline corporate tax (9% vs 20%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Dubai typical term is 3 years with 3 months free; Riyadh runs 5 years with 4 months free. ### Pick by transit Dubai: Dubai Metro Red Line connects DIFC, Downtown, Internet City. Etihad Rail commuter network is in development. Riyadh: Riyadh Metro (six lines, opening progressively from 2024-25). King Khalid International Airport (RUH) bus-served; Metro link planned. Heavy car dependency outside the urban core. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Dubai, Riyadh 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 Riyadh?**** : Dubai is cheaper on a USD basis: $39/sqft vs $55/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Dubai or Riyadh?**** : Roughly comparable. ****Which has more sublease availability, Dubai or Riyadh?**** : Dubai carries higher vacancy (5.8% vs 4.6%) and therefore typically more sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Dubai vs Riyadh?**** : Dubai typical term is 3 years with 3 months rent-free; Riyadh typical term is 5 years with 4 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. Riyadh: Riyadh Metro (six lines, opening progressively from 2024-25). King Khalid International Airport (RUH) bus-served; Metro link planned. Heavy car dependency outside the urban core. ## 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-riyadh), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.