Dubai's supply of flexible office space is set to grow as corporate entities look to adapt and employees seek an alternative to working from home, estate agent Savills has said.
In 2018, flexible office take-up by providers accounted on average for about 8 per cent of total office absorption across selected global markets, Savills said. By 2021, this had dropped to 5 per cent as the Covid-19 pandemic led many organisations to transition to working from home.
Savills eyes a "gradually reversing" trend, however, and highlighted Dubai's growth potential on the back of the UAE's strong economic rebound during the past year.
“In line with global trends, the city has recorded a steady increase in flexible space providers over the last few years," said Swapnil Pillai, associate director of Savills' Middle East research.
"Though their share of the overall office market remains limited as on date, it is gradually increasing as new players enter the market and existing providers expand their footprint.”
Flexible office space provides workers with different places and ways to work and can be easily scaled up and down to fit changing team sizes.
Savills picked Dubai among 18 major global office markets in terms of cities likely to drive flexible demand in the coming years.
London, which topped the index, as well as New York (4th) and Paris (5th), are cities where the concept of flexible offices developed and expanded in the years since the global financial crisis and the rise of the gig economy.
In Dubai, flexible space operators across are recording high occupancy levels, with a few players reporting 100 per cent occupancy and charting plans to further expand offerings across Dubai, Savills said.
Office rents in some areas of Dubai have been rebounding to pre-pandemic levels.
In Dubai, Business Bay has led the recovery, with average rents in the first three months of 2022 — the last available period — surging 33 per cent to Dh101 ($27.50) per square foot compared to 2020, Knight Frank said.
HR companies reported that many job candidates now expect flexible working conditions, with a limited number of days in the office.
A study from Hays this year found that working from the office full-time was again the most common working practice in the UAE. It found more than 40 per cent of companies had staff back in the offices about five days a week.
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
SPECS
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Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
