All around the world, the growing need for flexible office solutions, whether for freelancers and remote workers or for large established companies, creates fertile ground for coworking spaces to blossom. One of the most recent cities to feature in the list of best cities for coworking is Dubai.
Why Dubai?
In the last few decades, Dubai has cemented its position among the most competitive cities in the world, comparable in many metrics with New York, London, or Shanghai. An innovative hub that grows at an incredible speed, and has become synonymous with entrepreneurship, globalisation, and luxury.
Unlike Paris or Tokyo, Dubai is a young city. Having joined the UAE in 1971, the huge infrastructure projects only started in the last 50 years, and it only achieved international recognition in the last 20 years, revealing a lot of unexplored potential.
Despite this, 90% of the professional population in Dubai comes from overseas, and 80% of the jobs are held by expats. It was considered the 10th best expat destination in 2027, and the 2nd most popular global city to work remotely in the world. The UAE ranks 16th in terms of ease of doing business. The entrepreneurial culture in Dubai, as well as its competitive start-up ecosystem, remains a magnet for the ambitious and enterprising all over the world.
The Emirati government keeps making efforts to become even more attractive to businesses and highly qualified professionals. There are visa options that aim to answer every worker’s needs. From a Multi-Entry Visa aimed at business travellers that need to regularly fly in and out of Dubai, to the Golden Visas that allow high-profile investors and professionals to apply for 10- and 5-year residencies.
As an answer to the needs of self-employed and remote workers, the Virtual Working Programme was launched in 2021, enabling professionals to work remotely from Dubai. This programme is expected to be a good value proposition for start-ups, entrepreneurs and SMEs.
Besides the year-round sunny and warm weather, Dubai’s location is also attractive, sitting between Southeast Asia and Europe, and having aerial connections to virtually every major city in the world, it is the perfect hub for worldwide business.
The glocal coworking hub
We have seen how Dubai is a top coworking destination and is becoming ever more attractive. Let’s now talk about the global trends that are fuelling its boom.
Half of the knowledge professionals (e.g. accountants, engineers, data scientists) will work remotely, allowing them to work from anywhere in the world, which will prompt them to move to other cities that provide better live quality or a more affordable living.
A Slack survey found that almost a third of UK workers are less willing to apply for jobs without an option for remote work. And, in countries such as the USA, UK, Canada, and New Zealand, at least 20% of the workforce now has the option to work from home. Moreover, labour regulations across the world became broader and generally encompass remote working.
To cater to these professionals’ needs, offices and workspaces are shifting. They are no longer the rigid, corporate buildings where people went to work every day, year after year. They have become places where professionals can choose when, how, and in which environment they work, a hub to connect businesses, and a community that connects workers. A solution that provides the flexibility of a short or medium stay, while providing a more dynamic workspace.
The coworker in Dubai
More than two-thirds of the coworkers in Dubai are millennials who hold at least a college degree. They mostly work in IT, Banking, Finance and Insurance, or Marketing and creative industries, and almost half of them are startup founders or small business owners (under 10 employees), and 22% are workers for multinational firms.
The national origin of the Dubai coworker mirrors the globalised nature of the city. They come from Western European countries such as the UK, France, and Germany, but also from the US, Canada, Russia, or India.
They tend to prioritise a healthy and active lifestyle, seeking gyms and other wellness facilities, while not abdicating on 24/7 access to their workspace. They also prioritise networking with other professionals and being part of a dynamic community, leading to more active social lives.
The spaces in Dubai
The increase in demand has led to a rise in the number of coworking spaces available in Dubai. Companies like Unbox and the Co-Dubai have opened new locations within the city and upgraded their old facilities to meet their clients’ needs. New operators have also arrived in the Emirate, tending to focus on more niche profiles, conveying the slow but steady maturation of the market. Cloud Spaces, for example, offers a podcast and a recording studio, looking to attract content creators; while The Bureau has built a very strong community around female entrepreneurs and remote workers, providing members with a Mother’s Room and a Pumping Room.
Nevertheless, the overall market positioning hasn’t necessarily changed. Most of the current players still target a more corporate and premium sector, leaving large segments of the market unattended.
Most of the operators offer features such as 24/7 access, informal meeting points, and community events, showcasing the active social and professional lifestyle the coworkers aspire to maintain. On the other hand, parking, snacks and gym or pool access are sometimes available at an additional cost.
- Hot Desks / Day Passes: Flexible, short-term access for mobile professionals.Average market pricing: AED 50–AED 150 per day or AED 950–AED 1500 per month.
- Dedicated Desks: Fixed workstations for those requiring a consistent home base.Average market pricing: AED 1.500-AED 2.750 per month.
- Private Offices: The primary revenue driver and highest-demand product for established teams. Average market pricing*:* AED 4.950–AED 16.500 per 4 pax workstation/month.
- Standard Service Inclusion: Most coworking spaces offer an integrated approach with 24/7 access, high-speed Wi-Fi connection, and community activities. Most of them, however, do not offer a gym, pool, or other wellness facilities
- Common facilities: Most provide meeting and events rooms, a coworking lounge, and a kitchen-like station where workers can prepare/cook meals. Some of them provide private phone booths, a café or a bar. While only a few offer free parking, day care, and complimentary snacks.
- Community Engagement: Market-wide community engagement remains low, often limited to basic networking events.
A comparative outlook
Given Dubai’s yet unfulfilled potential, it is important to compare it to an equally competitive but more mature market, such as the British market. Being one of the most established coworking markets, the operators in London denote a much higher degree of specialisation, with players such as Level39 focusing on Fintech, Tileyard on Music & Media, or Sustainable Workspaces specialised in ClimateTech.
There are also differences in the available services in the coworking; virtually every space offers bike storage and showers. Additionally, WeWork London and others offer free barista-grade coffee and even free beer or cider during specific hours. That said, while standard for private offices, many hot-desks are limited to working hours (normally from 8:00 – 18:00).
When it comes to monthly membership in a Hot or Dedicated desk, prices are often not dissimilar (London being slightly pricier), especially in premium locations, such as Central London (£175 – £300 and £400 – £600 respectively). Private Offices, on the other hand, are pricier with 4 pax offices costing between £2.000 and £5.000.
| PRODUCT | DUBAI (~€) | LONDON (~€) |
|---|---|---|
| DAY PASSES | 12 – 35 day | 25 – 28 day |
| HOT DESKS | 220 – 350 month | 240 – 290 month |
| DEDICATED DESKS | 350 – 640 month | 435 – 600 month |
| DEDICATED OFFICES | 1150 – 3825 month | 2315 – 5780 month |
Finally, for now, community engagement is much deeper than in Dubai. Huckletree or Impact Hub host “Accelerators” and “Educational Programming”, and it is not uncommon for coworking operators to employ Community Managers who facilitate integration between members, fostering business growth.
Conclusions
Dubai’s coworking market has been surging with the arrival of new operators and old ones opening new locations. Still, the potential for expansion is huge, especially with the UAE’s dynamic and competitive business environment, which the government is looking to explore by attracting more highly qualified professionals and high-end investors to the country.
This is expected to attract many Western and Asian expats looking for a warm and sunny destination where they can take advantage of the low regulatory friction and highly competitive business model.
Given the market’s youth, there is a clear lack of specialisation and diversity, especially when compared with more mature markets such as the UK. With the market’s expansion, this is starting to change, with some of them focusing on a niche and tailoring their services to suit the professionals from that area, leading to a more resilient and sophisticated market.
As a result of competition in the coworking market, prices for day passes and hot desks may fall, while the high demand for private serviced offices may result in price stability, despite the increase in supply.
