Dubai Studio City
Studio City: sound stages, compact flats and strong yields
Community guide
Dubai Studio City is TECOM Group's film and broadcasting hub off Al Qudra Road, with a growing freehold district of mid rise apartment buildings beside Motor City. It suits young professionals and investors chasing yield: a studio typically sells for about AED 555,000 and a one bedroom for about AED 1.07M.
Key takeaways
- Azizi Mirage 1 and Azizi Beach Oasis 2 accounted for more than half of Studio City's 1,473 DLD sales over the 12 months to September 2026 (17 tracked buildings); two thirds of all deals were off plan.
- Studios outsold every other size, 808 of them changing hands at a typical AED 555,000, and they let for about AED 46,000 a year.
- Azizi Mirage 1 was the busiest building on both sides of the market, with 447 sales and 544 rental contracts.
- Gross yields ran at about 7.7 to 8.6% on studios, one and two bedroom apartments.
- The district is part of TECOM Group, whose sound stages range from 11,000 to 50,000 sq ft.
Dubai Studio City is a smart pick for an affordable, newly built apartment with high rental demand, especially if you work in media or in the southern suburbs. TECOM launched it in 2005 as the region's production hub, with sound stages of up to 50,000 sq ft that have hosted films such as Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol. Beside the studios, a residential district of five to ten storey buildings by Azizi, Danube, Samana and others has grown up, with Motor City's shops and schools just to the north. The stock is mostly studios and one bedroom apartments. Studios rent for about AED 46,000 a year and one bedrooms for about AED 65,000, giving gross yields of around 8%.
Key facts
- Location
- Off Al Qudra Road, next to Motor City and Al Barsha South
- Master developer
- TECOM Group (Dubai Holding)
- Property types
- Apartments, mostly studios and 1 bedrooms
- Typical studio sale price
- AED 555,000 (DLD, 12 months)
- Typical 1 bedroom sale price
- AED 1.07M (DLD, 12 months)
- Typical rents
- AED 46,000 (studio) to AED 85,000 (2 bed) a year
- Tenure
- Freehold, all nationalities
Building guides in Dubai Studio City
Facts, live asking and sold prices, yields and amenities for each tower.
Market data
Dubai Studio City prices and rents by bedroom
Dubai Land Department registered sales and Ejari registered rents from 26 Sept 2025 to 25 Sept 2026, across the 17 buildings and communities we track in Dubai Studio City.
- Sales registered
- 1,473
- 978 off plan
- Rents registered
- 1,551
- Typical price per sq ft
- AED 1,498
- Homes listed now
- 805
| Size | Sales | Typical price | AED per sq ft | Typical rent | Gross yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 808 | AED 555K | 1,580 | AED 46K a year | 8.6% |
| 1 bed | 562 | AED 1.1M | 1,439 | AED 65K a year | 8.1% |
| 2 bed | 94 | AED 1.1M | 1,233 | AED 85K a year | 7.7% |
| 3 bed | 9 | · | · | AED 110K a year | · |
What sold here
1,473 homes changed hands in Dubai Studio City over the last 12 months, 66% of them bought off plan.
Most traded: Azizi Mirage 1 (447, AED 500K); Azizi Beach Oasis 2 (340, AED 555K); Arisha Terraces (180, AED 1.1M)
Top buildings in Dubai Studio City
| Building | Developer | Completion | Sales, 12 months | Typical price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azizi Mirage 1 | Azizi Developments | · | 447 | AED 500K |
| Azizi Beach Oasis 2 | Azizi Developments | off plan | 340 | AED 555K |
| Laya Heights | Akshara Global Real Estate Development | 2023 | 30 | AED 650K |
| Glitz Residence 3 | Danube Properties | · | 27 | AED 1.1M |
| Arisha Terraces | · | off plan | 180 | AED 1.1M |
| Azizi Vista | Azizi Developments | 2025 | 55 | AED 1.2M |
| Samana Golf Avenue | Samana Developers | 2023 | 18 | AED 545K |
| Laya Courtyard | Akshara Global Real Estate Development | off plan | 116 | AED 1.1M |
Typical figures are medians weighted by the number of deals. Yields are gross: typical rent divided by typical price.
A film studio campus with its own neighbourhood
TECOM Group, part of Dubai Holding, opened Dubai Studio City in 2005 as a dedicated zone for film, television, radio and music production. Its studio side still works that way: the largest sound stages in the Middle East, boutique studios with offices attached and around 2,800 creative professionals, with productions such as Star Trek Beyond shot on site.
The homes came later. A residential district of mid rise buildings now fills the land between the studios and Motor City, in two loose clusters. The northern group, including Danube's three Glitz Residences and Laya Heights, sits a short walk from Uptown Motor City. The southern group gathers Samana Golf Avenue, Samana Santorini, Celia Residence and Divine Residencia, many with resort style pool decks, while Azizi Mirage 1 and Azizi Vista anchor the centre and west.
Schools, shops and leisure near the Studio City homes
Studio City borrows a lot of its everyday life from Motor City next door, where the nearest supermarket, mall and schools are within a kilometre or two of most buildings. There is no metro in the area; residents drive, with Al Qudra Road the main link to the rest of the city.
- •Children in the northern cluster can walk to GEMS Metropole School Motor City, roughly 300 metres from Laya Heights.
- •Dwight School Dubai, an IB school, is under a kilometre from the western buildings such as Azizi Vista.
- •Spinneys at Uptown Motor City and First Avenue Mall are both within about 0.6 to 2 km of the residential district.
- •Windsor Park in Motor City gives the northern buildings a nearby green space.
- •Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club and the Dubai Autodrome are each a short walk or drive away.
- •Families heading out for the weekend have Dubai Miracle Garden roughly 2 to 3 km down the road.
Studio City apartment prices and rental returns
DLD registered deals in the 12 months to September 2026 across the 17 Studio City buildings we track show a studio led market. Studios of about 356 sq ft typically sold for AED 555,000 and let for AED 46,000, a gross yield of about 8.6%. One bedroom apartments of around 694 sq ft sold for about AED 1.07M and rented for AED 65,000, roughly 8.1% gross. Two bedrooms had fewer deals, 94 sales at a typical AED 1.11M, with rents near AED 85,000. Three bedroom units are rare, with only a handful of trades, though they let for about AED 110,000. The area averaged about AED 1,498 per sq ft.
Off plan projects made up 978 of the 1,473 sales. Azizi Beach Oasis 2, Arisha Terraces, Laya Courtyard and Ryah Living were the most active launches. On the rental side, completed buildings carried the volume: Azizi Mirage 1 signed 544 Ejari contracts, followed by Laya Heights and Glitz Residence 3.
What makes Studio City appealing
- •Studio owners have earned around 8.6% gross on DLD prices and Ejari rents, with one bedrooms close behind.
- •Newer buildings, many completed since 2023, with pools, gyms and padel courts.
- •Motor City's schools, Spinneys and First Avenue Mall within easy reach.
- •A natural fit for people working in media and production at the studios themselves.
- •Entry prices close to half a million dirhams for a ready studio.
Before you buy in Dubai Studio City
- •The stock is dominated by studios and one bedrooms, so families needing three bedrooms may find more choice in Motor City or Arabian Ranches.
- •Several buildings are still under construction nearby, so check which plots around a unit are yet to be built.
- •Tenants here are mostly drivers, since no metro line reaches Studio City.
- •With many similar new units, pick layouts and views that will stand out when you come to rent or resell.
Good to know
Dubai Studio City questions, answered
Is Dubai Studio City a good place to live?+
It suits singles, couples and young professionals well. Studio City has a modern residential district of mid rise buildings with pools and gyms, and Motor City next door supplies Spinneys, First Avenue Mall, GEMS Metropole School and parks. It is calm and well priced, though you will want a car because there is no metro.
How much is a studio or one bedroom in Studio City?+
On DLD registered deals in the 12 months to September 2026, a studio in the Studio City buildings we track typically sold for about AED 555,000 and a one bedroom for about AED 1.07M. Two bedroom apartments traded less often, at a typical AED 1.11M.
What is the rent in Dubai Studio City?+
Renting a studio in Studio City costs roughly AED 46,000 a year, according to Ejari contracts from the year to September 2026. Expect about AED 65,000 for one bedroom and AED 85,000 for two. Azizi Mirage 1 dominates the rental market, with 544 contracts signed there in that period.
Can foreigners buy property in Dubai Studio City?+
Yes. The residential district of Dubai Studio City is freehold, so buyers of any nationality can own apartments outright, with the title deed registered at the Dubai Land Department. Most off plan projects there also come with developer payment plans.
Is Studio City a good investment?+
On DLD prices and Ejari rents, Studio City returned about 8.6% gross on studios, 8.1% on one bedrooms and 7.7% on two bedrooms, which is high for Dubai. Two thirds of recent sales were off plan, so choosing a developer with a strong delivery record matters.
Who owns and runs Dubai Studio City?+
Dubai Studio City is a member of TECOM Group, part of Dubai Holding. It opened in 2005 as a hub for film, TV, radio and music production and has the largest sound stages in the Middle East, while the separate residential district is built out by private developers such as Azizi, Danube and Samana.
Buyer guides
Sources
- Dubai Land Department open data (sales and rents, 12 months to Sep 2026)
- Dubai Legislation Portal: Regulation No. 3 of 2006 on freehold areas
- Dubai Land Department open data: freehold status of registered Ejari contracts (checked Oct 2026)
- Dubai Studio City (TECOM Group)
- GEMS Metropole School Motor City
- Samana Developers: Samana Golf Avenue