Office space — match it to your activity.
Three Dubai office options, each tied to specific DED activity rules + visa quota implications. Physical for trading and regulated activities. Flexi-desk for professional / consultancy. Virtual for limited activities.
- Physical office
- AED 18k+/yr
- Flexi-desk
- AED 8k+/yr
- Virtual office
- AED 6k+/yr
- Ejari
- Mandatory
Office types and what they unlock.
Dubai DED requires every mainland licence to have a registered tenancy address through Ejari (Dubai Land Department's tenancy registration system). The type of office acceptable depends on activity classification: trading, food service, retail, real estate, medical, and most regulated activities require physical office post-2023 DED circular; professional and consultancy activities allow flexi-desk arrangements; virtual office acceptance narrowed sharply post-2022 and is limited to specific activity categories. Visa quota — the number of employment visas your company can sponsor — scales with office size and activity type.
What each unlocks.
| Option | Annual cost | DED activity acceptance | Visa quota | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical office (200 sqft) | AED 18,000–25,000 | All activities | 2–3 visas | Standard SME with light staff |
| Physical office (500 sqft) | AED 35,000–60,000 | All activities | 6–8 visas | Growing SME, 5–10 staff |
| Physical office (1,000+ sqft) | AED 60,000–150,000 | All activities + scale | 12–25+ visas | Mid-sized businesses |
| Flexi-desk | AED 8,000–18,000 | Professional + consultancy + some commercial | 1–3 visas | Solo founders + early teams |
| Virtual office | AED 6,000–12,000 | Limited (e-commerce excluded post-2022) | 0–1 visas | Holding companies + reps |
| Co-working membership | AED 12,000–30,000 | Same as flexi-desk | 1–3 visas | Founders wanting community + flexibility |
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a physical office for Dubai mainland?
Depends on activity. Trading, food service, retail, real estate, medical, education, and most regulated activities require physical office post-2023 DED circular. Professional and consultancy activities allow flexi-desk. E-commerce activity requires Ejari-registered address (flexi-desk acceptable, virtual office NOT acceptable since 2022). YABS confirms requirement at activity-finder stage.
How much does Dubai office space cost in 2026?
Physical office (200–500 sqft): AED 18,000–60,000/yr in Business Bay / JLT / Al Garhoud / Deira. Flexi-desk (hot-desk in business centre): AED 8,000–18,000/yr in Servcorp / Regus / Office Plus / MyOffice. Virtual office (address only, no physical desk): AED 6,000–12,000/yr — limited activity acceptance.
What's flexi-desk vs virtual office?
Flexi-desk: real desk in a shared business centre, Ejari address, mail handling, meeting room access by reservation, 1–3 visa quota typically. Virtual office: address only, mail handling, NO physical desk, NO visa quota in some cases. Flexi-desk is acceptable for most professional activities; virtual office acceptance has narrowed sharply post-2022 due to e-commerce fraud concerns.
Can I sponsor more visas with a bigger office?
Yes — MOHRE visa quota scales with office size. 200 sqft typically supports 2–3 employment visas. 500 sqft supports 6–8. 1,000 sqft supports 12–15. 2,000+ sqft supports 25+. Quota also depends on activity (industrial / labour-intensive activities get higher quota per sqft than office-based services).
Office decisions cluster.
Get the right office for your activity
YABS confirms office requirement against your DED activity, recommends matched providers, and handles Ejari coordination.
This page was last reviewed by the YABS compliance team in Q2 2026 and reflects current Dubai DED, Dubai Municipality, DHA, MOHRE, FTA, and DLD requirements.