Shatha Tower

TL;DR: Shatha Tower is a completed 41-storey Grade-A commercial skyscraper in Dubai Media City, developed by Al Sayyah & Sons Investment Co. Standing 167 metres tall with 540,201 sqft of leasable office space, it was the first tower completed in DMC (2006). Office lease rates range from AED 160–250 per sqft per annum, with current tenants including LG Electronics, Property Finder, and Movenpick. The tower features 1,053 parking spaces, a dedicated health club floor, a business centre with luxury cinema, and 12 high-speed elevators.

Introduction to Shatha Tower

Shatha Tower holds the distinction of being the first commercial tower completed in the heart of Dubai Media City (DMC), one of the Middle East's largest and most influential media freezones. Rising 41 storeys and reaching an architectural height of 167 metres (548 feet) above Al Jowzaa Street in the Al Sufouh 2 district, this all-concrete Grade-A office skyscraper was developed by Al Sayyah & Sons Investment Co. LLC (Alsayyah Group) and delivered in 2006 following construction commencement in 2004. Designed by National Engineering Bureau (NEB), the tower features a striking curtain wall and composite panel facade — comprising 18,000 square metres of glazing supplied by Alumco — that frames panoramic views of Dubai Marina, the Palm Jumeirah, the Arabian Gulf coastline, and the surrounding media district landscape.

The tower's structural configuration includes three basement levels dedicated to parking, a ground-floor lobby, a mezzanine level, eight podium levels, one dedicated health club floor, and 30 typical office floors. With a total leasable area of 540,201 square feet (approximately 50,185 square metres) and a typical floor plate of 18,007 square feet, Shatha Tower has established itself as one of Dubai Media City's best-performing commercial assets. The building operates within the TECOM Freezone framework, offering dual eligibility for both Dubai Media City and Dubai Internet City freezone licences — a significant advantage for businesses operating across multiple creative and technology sectors.

Location and Connectivity

Shatha Tower occupies a premier position within Dubai Media City, strategically situated between Sheikh Zayed Road (just a 2-minute drive) and the Arabian Gulf waterfront. This dual exposure provides exceptional connectivity to Dubai's major commercial and leisure districts while positioning tenants at the geographic centre of the emirate's media and creative industries ecosystem.

The tower benefits from outstanding public transportation links. The Al Khail Metro Station (formerly Nakheel Metro Station, Dubai Metro Red Line) is just 472–620 metres away, within a 7–10 minute walk. The Dubai Internet City Metro Station is approximately 8 minutes on foot, while the DAMAC Properties Metro Station is 7 minutes walking. The Dubai Tram — Media City Stop is only 4 minutes' walk, and the Mina Seyahi Tram Stop is 5 minutes away. Feeder Bus F56 serves Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City, and Dubai Knowledge Village directly.

Key driving distances from the tower include Palm Jumeirah (9 minutes), The Walk at JBR (12 minutes), Dubai Marina (10 minutes), Mall of the Emirates (under 15 minutes), Burj Al Arab (15 minutes), and Downtown Dubai with the Dubai Mall (17 minutes). Dubai International Airport (DXB) is 26 minutes by car, while Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) is reachable in 34 minutes. Walking-distance amenities include Marina Walk waterfront promenade (0.7 km), Emirates Golf Club (1.1 km), Skydive Dubai (1.7 km), and Reel Cinemas at Dubai Marina Mall (1.9 km). Multiple dining options are within immediate proximity, including Samoon Restaurant (1 minute walk), Certo Italian Restaurant (3 minutes), and Qwerty Restaurant (4 minutes).

Office Specifications and Lease Rates

Shatha Tower offers flexible office configurations across its 30 typical floors, accommodating a range of business sizes from boutique operations to multinational headquarters requiring full-floor occupation. Each floor plate of 18,007 square feet can be partitioned into smaller units or leased as a single open-plan space. The building features raised flooring with voice and data-enabled floor boxes, floor-to-ceiling windows maximizing natural light, and hybrid office layouts supporting both open-plan collaborative environments and private executive office configurations.

Current lease rates (2024–2025) reflect the tower's premium positioning within the DMC market. Fitted or shell-and-core small units of approximately 516–571 square feet are available at AED 250 per square foot per annum (AED 129,000–142,750 annually). Mid-size fitted offices of 1,160–1,428 square feet lease at AED 250 per square foot (AED 290,000–357,000 per year). Larger fitted offices spanning 2,733–2,993 square feet command approximately AED 683,250–748,250 annually at the same rate. Full-floor shell-and-core configurations of 18,007–18,018 square feet are available at AED 160 per square foot per annum (approximately AED 2,882,880 annually), reflecting the economies of scale for major tenants.

Additional occupancy costs include a TECOM Authority fee of AED 5 per square foot per annum (payable directly to TECOM Group), DEWA charges of AED 5 per square foot per annum for floors 17 and 19–36 (floors 11–16 and 18 are billed directly to tenant DEWA accounts), and additional parking at AED 10,000 per bay per annum beyond the standard allocation of 1 space per 800 square feet. VAT at 5% applies on all rents. The headline rate range across Dubai Media City for 2025 spans AED 160–240 per square foot, positioning Shatha Tower at the premium end of the district market.

Amenities and Building Infrastructure

Shatha Tower distinguishes itself from conventional commercial towers through an extensive amenities programme designed to support tenant productivity and employee wellbeing. The ground-floor grand entrance lobby operates a 24-hour front desk with concierge services, flanked by cafes, restaurants, convenience retail outlets, and direct access to the tower's 12 high-speed passenger elevators.

A dedicated full-floor health club sits above the podium level, featuring a state-of-the-art gymnasium and a large swimming pool — amenities rarely found within commercial office buildings. The tower's Business Centre, opened in July 2017 as a major upgrade to the building's facilities, houses a library, high-tech meeting rooms, recreation rooms, a multimedia room, and a luxury cinema — providing tenants with premium venues for client presentations, team events, and creative screenings without leaving the building.

Building-wide infrastructure includes 24/7 CCTV security monitoring, central air conditioning with supply and exhaust ventilation systems, and 1,053 underground parking spaces distributed across three basement levels. The parking ratio of 1 space per 800 square feet of office area ensures adequate vehicle accommodation for tenants and visitors alike.

Key Tenants and Market Positioning

Shatha Tower's tenant roster reflects its premium positioning within the DMC ecosystem. Current confirmed tenants include LG Electronics (regional office), Movenpick, and Property Finder (occupying a 14,000-square-foot office on the 15th floor, with fit-out completed in December 2023). Historically, the tower served as the early headquarters for Careem (the ride-hailing platform subsequently acquired by Uber in 2019 for USD 3.1 billion) and Dubizzle (now part of the EMPG/dubizzle Group), both of which grew their operations from within the tower during their critical scaling phases.

The building is described as achieving near-full occupancy, consistent with Dubai Media City's broader 95%+ occupancy rates in prime commercial assets. Investor returns are cited at 6–8% per annum across multiple real estate portals. The tower's Class B+/Grade A classification positions it competitively against newer DMC stock, with its first-mover advantage, substantial floor plates, and comprehensive amenities continuing to attract high-quality tenants from the media, technology, and creative sectors.

Dubai Media City Freezone Overview

Dubai Media City was established in 2000 and officially inaugurated in January 2001 by the Government of Dubai, celebrating its 25th anniversary in January 2026. Operated by TECOM Group (a subsidiary of Dubai Holding), DMC spans over 200 hectares and has grown into one of the world's largest media freezones. The TECOM Media Cluster — which includes DMC, Dubai Production City, and Dubai Studio City — hosts over 40,000 media and creative professionals, with 60% of Fortune 500 media companies maintaining a presence in the cluster.

In 2024, the media cluster attracted AED 18.86 billion in total foreign direct investment (FDI) capital inflows, 971 cultural and creative sector projects, and created 23,517 new jobs — marking the third consecutive year as the world's top global destination for greenfield FDI in cultural and creative industries. Key global tenants across DMC include CNN, BBC, Discovery Networks, Thomson Reuters, CNBC, Dow Jones, Forbes, MBC Group, Sony, WPP, Publicis Groupe, and ITP Media Group. The freezone's innovation ecosystem includes the in5 Media incubator (launched 2013), which has supported over 1,100 startups and helped raise AED 9 billion in funding.

Freezone benefits include 100% foreign ownership, 100% repatriation of capital and profits, 0% personal income tax, 0% corporate tax on profits within the freezone framework, 0% customs duties, and UAE residence visa eligibility for shareholders and employees.

Developer Profile: Al Sayyah & Sons Investment Co.

Al Sayyah & Sons Investment Co. LLC operates under the Alsayyah Group umbrella, founded in 1979 by Mr. Mohammed Abdullah Al Sayyah, a former Chief Advisor at Standard Chartered Bank. Now led by Chairman Mohammed Abdullah AlSayyah and CEO Marwan AlSayyah, the group has expanded from its real estate development origins into a diversified conglomerate spanning facilities management, food and beverage trading, restaurant and catering operations, wellness and spas, BPO outsourcing, and HR training and recruitment.

The group's confirmed project portfolio includes several iconic Dubai developments: Sulafa Tower in Dubai Marina (a 76-floor, 288-metre residential skyscraper completed in 2010), Blue Bay Tower in Business Bay (28 floors, commercial), Al Sayyah Residence and Al Sayyah Building in Al Quoz, and international projects including the Dbayeh Building in Lebanon. Early portfolio achievements include contributions to Lamcy Plaza and Wollongong University Dubai, as well as commercial buildings on Sheikh Zayed Road and residential properties across Karama, Deira, Jumeirah, and Umm Suqaim. The group's most recent launch, Butterfly Towers in Arjan (2024–2025), signals continued investment in Dubai's expanding residential market, with Al Sayyah committing AED 1 billion to ongoing Dubai development.