Office fit out cost in Dubai is almost always quoted per square foot, and the range in 2026 runs from AED 180 for a basic Cat B to AED 600+ for a premium turnkey office. Where you land in that range depends on grade, location, scope and the condition of the shell you are handed. This guide breaks down each driver so you can budget accurately before you sign a lease. For a fixed-price quote on your own office, our office fit out service includes a per-square-foot estimate after one site visit.
Shell and core vs Cat A vs Cat B
Before any numbers, understand what you are paying for. Landlords in Dubai typically hand over space in one of three conditions:
- Shell and core — bare concrete, base building MEP in the risers only, no ceiling, no lighting, no partitions. You fund everything.
- Category A (Cat A) — landlord has installed raised floors, suspended ceilings, basic lighting and AC distribution. You fit out on top.
- Category B (Cat B) — tenant works: partitions, doors, finishes, workstations, meeting rooms, kitchenette, branding, IT. This is what most “office fit out” quotes cover.
If your landlord hands over Cat A, your fit out cost is lower. If you get shell and core, you pay for Cat A and Cat B. Always confirm the handover condition in the lease before budgeting.
Cost per square foot by grade (2026)
- Basic / functional Cat B: AED 180–AED 260 per sq ft. Standard partitions, vinyl flooring, basic lighting, open-plan workstations, one meeting room, simple kitchenette.
- Mid-range Cat B: AED 260–AED 380 per sq ft. Acoustic partitions, carpet tiles or premium vinyl, suspended acoustic ceilings, glazed meeting rooms, branded reception, better lighting.
- Premium Cat B: AED 380–AED 550 per sq ft. Designer joinery, stone or large-format tile reception, high-end lighting, soundproofed meeting rooms, premium workstations, feature ceilings.
- Turnkey / luxury: AED 550–AED 800+ per sq ft. Bespoke joinery, imported materials, executive suites, premium AV, full branding, designer lighting throughout.
How location moves the number
The per-square-foot construction cost is similar across Dubai, but location changes total project cost through fit-out deposit, service charges, and access constraints:
- DIFC and Downtown — premium towers with strict fit-out guides, higher deposits (AED 20,000–AED 50,000), and restricted working hours. Expect the top of each grade range.
- Business Bay and JLT — the mainstream office market. Mid-range Cat B is the dominant spec; deposits AED 10,000–AED 25,000.
- Sheikh Zayed Road and Barsha Heights — similar to Business Bay, with some older towers needing more MEP remediation.
- JAFZA and free zones — Trakhees permitting adds a layer; fit-out guides are specific but deposits are often lower.
What is inside a typical Cat B budget
For a mid-range Cat B office at AED 320 per sq ft, the budget breaks down roughly as:
- Partitions and doors: 18–22%
- Ceilings and lighting: 15–20%
- Flooring: 10–14%
- MEP (electrical, AC, data): 18–24%
- Joinery (reception, kitchenette, cabins): 12–18%
- Furniture and workstations: 10–15%
- AV and IT: 5–10%
- Permits, NOCs and deposits: 3–6%
Furniture is sometimes excluded from fit out quotes and procured separately — always confirm whether “fit out” includes workstations and seating or not.
Office size and the per-square-foot effect
Per-square-foot cost drops as office size rises, because fixed costs (design, permits, mobilisation) spread over more area:
- 1,000–3,000 sq ft: AED 280–AED 450 (mid-range). Small offices carry proportionally more design and permit overhead.
- 5,000–10,000 sq ft: AED 240–AED 380 (mid-range). The sweet spot for efficient per-foot pricing.
- 15,000+ sq ft: AED 200–AED 320 (mid-range). Economies of scale on MEP, partitions and flooring.
Hidden office fit out costs
- Landlord fit-out deposit — AED 10,000–AED 50,000, refundable.
- After-hours work premiums — towers restrict noisy work to nights and weekends; budget 20–30% labour premium if you need to work around occupied floors.
- IT and low-voltage — structured cabling, server rack, access control and CCTV often sit outside the main fit out quote.
- Snag and retention — hold 5% retention until snag closure, typically 30 days post-handover.
How to keep an office fit out on budget
First, confirm the landlord’s handover condition in writing before you budget — shell and core vs Cat A changes your number by AED 120–AED 180 per sq ft. Second, freeze the layout before MEP starts; moving partitions after first-fix is the main cause of office cost overruns. Third, specify workstations and AV in or out of the contract so you compare quotes on a like-for-like basis. Fourth, use a fixed-price, milestone-staged contract — the model we use on every office fit out in Dubai.
The bottom line for 2026
A realistic 2026 office fit out budget in Dubai is AED 220 per sq ft for a functional Cat B, AED 320 for mid-range, AED 450 for premium, and AED 650+ for turnkey luxury — plus 10% contingency and the landlord deposit. For a 5,000 sq ft mid-range office in Business Bay, that is roughly AED 1.6 million all-in. The number moves with grade, location and handover condition, all of which a single site visit pins down. If you are leasing or renewing an office, get a fixed-price per-square-foot quote before you commit to the lease — not after.
