business central towers dubai internet city

Business Central Towers Dubai Internet City: What to Know

If you're signing a lease, buying a unit, or setting up an office at Business Central Towers Dubai Internet City, here's what actually matters from a legal and practical standpoint. The towers sit inside a free zone, which changes a few things people often assume work like mainland Dubai.

Quick answer

Business Central Towers Dubai Internet City refers to two commercial high-rises (Tower A and Tower B, around 47 floors each) located in the Dubai Internet City free zone along Sheikh Zayed Road. Because they sit inside a TECOM free zone, leasing, licensing, and dispute resolution generally fall under Dubai Development Authority (DDA) rules rather than standard Dubai Municipality and Ejari frameworks. Tenants typically need a DDA-issued commercial licence, and lease registration goes through TECOM's portal, not the Dubai Land Department's Ejari system.

Where exactly are they, and who regulates them?

Business Central Towers are twin towers on Sheikh Zayed Road, technically within the Dubai Internet City free zone cluster operated by TECOM Group. The regulator is the Dubai Development Authority, established under Law No. 15 of 2014 and reorganised under subsequent Dubai government decisions ^[1].

That matters more than tenants realise.

If you're leasing office space here, your tenancy is not registered with Ejari (the Real Estate Regulatory Agency system for mainland Dubai tenancies). It's registered with TECOM's own platform — the Axs / Dubai Tech Entrepreneur Portal, depending on which version is current. Disputes over your lease don't go to the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre at the Dubai Land Department either. They go through DDA's internal mechanisms first, and then potentially to Dubai Courts.

Frankly, most new tenants don't figure this out until something goes wrong.

Licensing and setting up a business at Business Central Towers Dubai Internet City

To occupy commercial space at Business Central Towers Dubai Internet City, you need a licence issued by DDA — usually under the Dubai Internet City free zone. Activities are restricted: IT services, software, telecom, e-commerce, consultancy linked to tech, and similar. A pure trading licence or a non-tech professional licence generally won't fly here.

Costs to budget for (2024 figures, subject to TECOM updating):

• Commercial licence: roughly AED 15,000–25,000 per year depending on activity
• Establishment card: around AED 2,000
• Office lease: starts around AED 150–250 per sq ft per year for fitted units, higher for premium floors
• Tenancy registration with TECOM: a few hundred dirhams

You'll also need to fit out the unit to TECOM's specifications, and any fit-out work requires DDA approval before contractors touch a wall ^[2].

One thing worth checking before you sign: whether the unit you're viewing is leased directly from TECOM/the building management or subleased from an existing tenant. Sublease arrangements at Business Central Towers Dubai Internet City require landlord and DDA consent — without it, you're exposed.

Lease disputes and what your rights actually look like

The standard Dubai tenancy law most people Google — Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008 — does not apply inside the free zone in the same way it applies to mainland Dubai properties. Free zone leases are governed primarily by the contract itself and DDA's regulatory framework ^[1].

Practical consequences:

The rent cap calculator from RERA (the Real Estate Regulatory Agency under Dubai Land Department) is not directly binding on Business Central Towers leases. Landlords can increase rent based on the lease terms, though most TECOM-managed leases include their own escalation clauses (commonly 5% annually).

Eviction procedures differ too. You won't get the 12-month notarised notice protection that mainland tenants enjoy under Article 25 of Law No. 33 of 2008. Read your lease carefully — the termination clause is what governs.

Disputes typically start with a complaint to DDA. If that doesn't resolve it, Dubai Courts have jurisdiction, with the contract's governing law clause usually pointing to UAE federal law and Dubai law.

In my experience, the smartest move before signing is asking for the standard TECOM lease template and getting it reviewed. The form is heavily landlord-favourable and there's limited room to amend it — but knowing what you're signing beats discovering it in month nine.

Watch out: "Free zone" doesn't mean "tax-free" anymore. UAE Corporate Tax (Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022) applies to free zone entities, with a 0% rate only for Qualifying Free Zone Persons meeting strict conditions. If you're setting up at Business Central Towers Dubai Internet City expecting automatic 0% tax, get advice first ^[3].

Buying versus leasing a unit

Most space at Business Central Towers Dubai Internet City is leased, not owned. The towers were developed by TECOM and units are predominantly held within the TECOM ecosystem. Strata-titled ownership of individual commercial units exists in some Dubai free zones but is limited at Business Central Towers compared to, say, Jumeirah Lake Towers or Business Bay.

If you're being offered a "sale" of a unit, ask:

• Is this a freehold strata title or a long-term leasehold (e.g., 30-year lease assignment)?
• Is the title registered with Dubai Land Department or only with DDA?
• What service charges apply, and who sets them?

Service charges at Business Central Towers are set by the building management and historically have run higher than comparable mainland buildings. Get the latest schedule in writing before committing.

When to get a lawyer involved

Honestly, for a straightforward small-office lease under AED 200,000 a year with a clean TECOM standard form, you probably don't need extensive legal work — read the lease, check the activity list, confirm the licence covers what you actually do.

Get a lawyer involved if:

• You're taking more than one floor or signing for 3+ years
• The lease includes unusual fit-out obligations or restoration clauses
• You're subleasing from an existing tenant
• You're structuring a regional HQ and need to align corporate tax positioning with the QFZP regime
• There's any dispute brewing with the landlord or another tenant

For broader context on commercial leases in Dubai, see our category page on tenancy law and on business setup.

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Citations

^[1] Dubai Development Authority — establishment and mandate. See Dubai Law No. 15 of 2014 concerning DCCA (predecessor) and subsequent reorganisation under DDA. https://dda.gov.ae

^[2] TECOM Group / Dubai Internet City — licensing and fit-out requirements. https://dic.ae

^[3] UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 on the Taxation of Corporations and Businesses, and Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2023 on Qualifying Free Zone Persons. https://mof.gov.ae

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