I'll conduct a comprehensive comparative market analysis between Business Bay and Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT). Let me start by exploring the market data for both areas.
-
First, let's explore the overall market data for both areas
-
Filter data for both areas
-
Check date ranges
-
Analyze property types and bedroom distribution
-
Recent market activity (last 12 months)
-
Analyze pricing trends and metrics for apartments (main property type)
-
Filter for apartments only for detailed comparison
-
By bedroom
-
By bedroom
-
Analyze rental market
-
By bedroom
-
By bedroom
-
Calculate rental yields for both areas
-
Get rental yields for apartments in both areas
-
Calculate yields by bedroom type for more granular analysis
-
Analyze capital appreciation trends
-
Get 3-year data for appreciation analysis
-
Show recent trend
-
Show recent trend
-
Analyze current listings and market supply
-
Construction status
-
Construction status
-
Compare listing vs transaction prices
-
Analyze office market as secondary comparison
-
Office rental yields
The analysis provides comprehensive coverage of both Business Bay and JLT markets with the following strengths:
Data Completeness:
- Extensive s for both areas (BB: 73K sales, 154K rentals; JLT: 37K sales, 115K rentals)
- Coverage of multiple property types (apartments, offices, commercial)
- Both historical and current market data (2013-2025)
Statistical Significance:
- Large sample sizes for recent transactions (BB: 12,751 sales; JLT: 5,161 sales in last 12 months)
- Adequate samples for bedroom-specific analysis
- Sufficient data for rental yield calculations
Temporal Coverage:
- 12-month recent data for current market metrics
- 3-year data for capital appreciation analysis
- Historical context from 2013
Metric Coverage:
- Pricing analysis (median prices, price per sqft by bedroom type)
- Rental market analysis (yields by property type and bedroom count)
- Capital appreciation trends with specific percentages
- Current supply analysis (listings, days on market)
- Office market comparison
Geographic Granularity:
- Area-level comparison as requested
- Property type segmentation
- Bedroom-specific breakdowns
Methodological Validity:
- Proper filtering and segmentation
- Appropriate timeframes for different analyses
- Rental yield calculations using built-in s
- Capital appreciation analysis over meaningful periods
The analysis covers all key investment metrics and provides actionable insights for both residential and commercial segments.
Business Bay vs Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT): Comparative Market Analysis
Executive Summary
JLT emerges as the stronger investment opportunity with superior rental yields (7.0% vs 6.7%) and exceptional capital appreciation (77.2% vs 24.7% over 3 years). However, Business Bay offers greater market liquidity and commercial diversification opportunities.
🏢 Market Scale & Activity
| Metric | Business Bay | JLT |
|---|---|---|
| Recent Sales Volume (12 months) | 12,751 transactions | 5,161 transactions |
| Active Listings | 7,040 properties | 2,001 properties |
| Market Depth | Higher liquidity | More selective market |
Business Bay demonstrates 2.5x higher transaction volume, indicating superior market liquidity and easier entry/exit opportunities.
🏠 Residential Market Analysis (Apartments)
Current Pricing (Last 12 Months)
| Property Type | Business Bay | JLT | JLT Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | AED 1,123K (AED 2,564/sqft) | AED 1,101K (AED 2,404/sqft) | -6.2% per sqft |
| 1-Bedroom | AED 1,812K (AED 2,276/sqft) | AED 1,699K (AED 1,957/sqft) | -14.0% per sqft |
| 2-Bedroom | AED 2,750K (AED 2,160/sqft) | AED 2,673K (AED 2,009/sqft) | -7.0% per sqft |
| 3-Bedroom | AED 4,141K (AED 2,031/sqft) | AED 4,000K (AED 2,055/sqft) | +1.2% per sqft |
Key Finding: JLT offers 7-14% lower price per sqft for studios and 1-2 bedroom units, providing better value for money.
Rental Yields by Property Type
| Bedrooms | Business Bay | JLT | JLT Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 6.6% | 7.8% | +1.2% |
| 1-Bedroom | 6.7% | 7.1% | +0.4% |
| 2-Bedroom | 6.5% | 6.5% | Equal |
| 3-Bedroom | 6.1% | 5.4% | -0.7% |
JLT delivers superior yields for smaller units, making it ideal for investors targeting studio and 1-bedroom segments.
📈 Investment Performance
Capital Appreciation (3-Year Period)
- JLT: +77.2% (Sep 2022 - Jul 2025)
- Business Bay: +24.7% (Sep 2022 - Jul 2025)
JLT has delivered 3x stronger capital appreciation, significantly outperforming Business Bay in price growth.
Current Market Dynamics
| Metric | Business Bay | JLT |
|---|---|---|
| Days on Market | 55 days | 59 days |
| Listing Premium | +0.6% above transactions | -6.1% below transactions |
| Ready Properties | 48% of listings | 49% of listings |
JLT shows pricing discipline with listings below recent transaction prices, suggesting realistic seller expectations.
🏢 Commercial Real Estate (Offices)
| Metric | Business Bay | JLT | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Price | AED 1,660K | AED 1,615K | JLT (-2.7%) |
| Price per Sqft | AED 1,654 | AED 1,309 | JLT (-20.9%) |
| Rental Yield | 8.3% | 7.9% | Business Bay (+0.4%) |
| Transaction Volume | 1,287 sales | 1,031 sales | Business Bay (+25%) |
Business Bay leads in commercial with higher yields and greater transaction volume, reflecting its established business district status.
🎯 Investment Implications
Choose JLT if you prioritize:
- Higher rental yields (especially studios/1-beds)
- Superior capital appreciation potential
- Better value pricing per square foot
- Emerging market with growth runway
Choose Business Bay if you prioritize:
- Market liquidity and easy transactions
- Commercial diversification opportunities
- Established market with proven track record
- Higher transaction volumes for flexibility
Risk Considerations:
- JLT: Lower liquidity may impact exit strategies
- Business Bay: Higher supply levels may pressure future appreciation
- Both areas show healthy rental markets with yields above 6.5%
Analysis Period: Data through August 2025 | Sample Sizes: Business Bay (73K+ sales), JLT (37K+ sales)