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DIFC: Financial District and Real-Estate Developments

Dubai International Financial Centre is a financial free zone created by UAE Federal Decree No. 35 of 2004 and affiliated to the Government of Dubai. Its property arm, DIFC Developments, part of DIFC Investments Ltd, builds inside the district. It delivered DIFC Square, 600,000 sq ft of offices, in March 2026. Its three residential launches — DIFC Living, Heights Tower and The Residences — all sold out, and none has been handed over yet.

Last verified: 21 August 2026

Active in DIFCDIFC Zabeel DistrictGate DistrictZabeel

DIFC's development role

Dubai International Financial Centre was established in 2004 as Dubai's international financial centre. Its remit combines statutory district administration with the development and operation of commercial, mixed-use, and residential assets. The structure includes DIFC Authority and DIFC Investments, while project announcements are published through DIFC's development programme.

Residential and commercial milestones

DIFC Living is the first residential project by DIFC: a 186-metre, 41-storey tower with more than 170 homes. Sales opened on 20 September 2023 and closed two days later. DIFC Heights Tower launched in April 2025 with 366 residences, followed by The Residences by DIFC in February 2026 with 463 homes in Phase A of the Zabeel District.

The wider pipeline includes office-led projects. DIFC Square opened ahead of schedule in March 2026, while Immersive Tower was announced as a separate mixed-use office development. Together, these projects show DIFC's combined district, workplace, and residential role.

Financial-centre district with residential and commercial developments

Financial districtMixed-useResidentialCommercialDubai

Who owns DIFC?

DIFC is a financial free zone, not a company. Federal Decree No. 35 of 2004, signed on 27 June 2004, established the zone in Dubai and named it Dubai International Financial Centre. Article 3 of Dubai Law No. 5 of 2021 regulates it as a financial free zone “having financial and administrative independence, and affiliated to the Government” — the Government of Dubai. Article 17 states that the land and buildings of the DIFC bodies are allocated to them by the Government. There are no shares and no shareholder register. Homes inside the district are built by DIFC Developments, the property arm of DIFC Investments Ltd.

Source: Dubai Law No. (5) of 2021 Concerning the Dubai International Financial Centre — DIFC legal database · UAE Federal Decree No. 35 of 2004 establishing the Dubai International Financial Centre — DIFC legal database

Track record

Buildings that made the name

01 DIFC established by federal decree Federal Decree No. 35 of 2004, signed on 27 June 2004, created a financial free zone in the Emirate of Dubai and named it Dubai International Financial Centre. 2004 completed
02 Dubai Law No. 5 of 2021 replaces the founding Dubai law Article 3 regulates DIFC as a financial free zone with financial and administrative independence, affiliated to the Government of Dubai, and confirms its own register of real property. 2021 completed
03 DIFC Living, the first residential project, sells out in 48 hours Sales opened on 20 September 2023 with Knight Frank as exclusive partner and closed on 22 September. More than 170 homes in a 186-metre, 41-storey tower. 2023 completed
04 Immersive Tower breaks ground AED 1.1bn and 37 storeys over 115,000 sq m of built-up area beside Daman Tower, conceptualised by AEDAS and developed by DAR Group, ground broken on 1 May 2024. 2024 completed
05 DIFC Square breaks ground Near 1 million sq ft of built-up area on a 113,500 sq ft plot, ground broken on 30 June 2024 with handover scheduled for Q1 2026. Ground broken 2024
06 Heights Tower sells 366 homes in three days Sales opened on 16 April 2025 and every unit was sold by 18 April. The tower occupies the final plot in the original DIFC district. 2025 completed
07 DIFC Zabeel District launched by the Ruler Announced on 27 January 2026 — 7.1 million sq ft of land, 17.7 million sq ft of gross floor area, a gross development value above AED 100 billion, six phases and a first opening by 2030. Announced 2026
08 The Residences sells out on its public launch Unveiled on 9 February 2026, sold from 12 February and confirmed sold out on 13 February. 463 homes in two towers, after previews for more than 3,000 brokers. 2026 completed
09 DIFC Square delivered ahead of schedule Opened on 9 March 2026 with 600,000 sq ft of offices fully pre-leased, built within a 24-month design and construction window. 2026 completed
10 Heights Tower main contract awarded Al Basti & Muktha LLC appointed on 2 July 2026 for a development with a stated gross development value of AED 3 billion, targeting completion in 2029. 2026 completed

DIFC track record

Developments published by DIFC Developments

Five

Immersive Tower, DIFC Square, DIFC Living, DIFC Heights Tower and The Residences

Delivered and handed over

One

DIFC Square, 600,000 sq ft of offices, opened in March 2026 with 100% pre-leasing

Residential launches, all sold out

Three

DIFC Living more than 170 homes in 2023, Heights Tower 366 in 2025, The Residences 463 in 2026

Homes handed over

None announced

DIFC Living was given a completion of Q3 2026 and no completion announcement has followed

Commercial space in the 2026–2027 programme

1.6 million sq ft

DIFC Living, Innovation Two and Immersive Tower, stated on 9 March 2026

DIFC Zabeel District gross floor area

17.7 million sq ft

On a 7.1 million sq ft site, with a gross development value above AED 100bn

One DIFC development has been completed and handed over — DIFC Square, in March 2026. No DIFC home has been handed over as at 21 August 2026, so no residential project is marked delivered. The date in the last column is the one stated in the release named for that row.Unit counts come from releases of different dates and are not added together. The company, workforce and revenue figures published by DIFC describe the free zone as a jurisdiction and are not part of this table.

What DIFC is known for

Established by

UAE Federal Decree No. 35 of 2004

Owner

Government of Dubai (Dubai Law No. 5 of 2021, Article 3)

Developments published

Five

Delivered and handed over

DIFC Square, 600,000 sq ft, March 2026

Pre-leasing at handover

100%

Residential launches, all sold out

Three — 170+, 366 and 463 homes

Fastest sell-out

366 homes in three days, April 2025

Zabeel District gross floor area

17.7 million sq ft

Figures come from DIFC's own dated press releases and its Annual Report 2025.Company, workforce and revenue counts describe the free zone as a jurisdiction and are not a measure of the development arm; they are kept in the financial block and labelled there.

Financials, FY2025

Combined revenues, whole Centre

AED 2.13bn, up 20% from AED 1.78bn

Net profit, whole Centre

AED 1.48bn, up 28% from AED 1.16bn

Active companies in the free zone

8,844, up 28%

Professionals working in the free zone

50,200, up 9%

Source: DIFC Annual Report 2025

The Residences represents the residential pinnacle of the DIFC Zabeel District and marks a significant step in the evolution of DIFC as a place to live, work and thrive.

Saleh Al Akrabi Chief Real Estate Officer, DIFC Investments DIFC, 9 February 2026

Where DIFC builds

The Residences by DIFC Apartments in Dubai All projects All developers

Current projects via GRAF

The Residences by DIFC

DIFC Zabeel District, Dubai

From AED 2.66M

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How DIFC differs from other Dubai developers

DIFC is a financial free zone that also builds and sells homes. Its owner is written in a federal decree rather than a share register, its buildings stand on land allocated by the Government of Dubai, and titles inside the district are recorded in DIFC's own property register.

The owner is named in law: Federal Decree No. 35 of 2004 created the zone and Dubai Law No. 5 of 2021 makes it a financial free zone affiliated to the Government of Dubai. There are no shares and no shareholder register.
Regulator, courts and developer share one perimeter: The DFSA licenses the financial firms, the DIFC Courts hear disputes under English common law, and DIFC Developments sells homes on the same land.
Title is recorded in DIFC's own register: Article 3(c) of Dubai Law No. 5 of 2021 keeps a register of real property supervised by the DIFC registrar of real property for everything inside the district's approved geographical area.
It publishes an annual report: Combined revenues were AED 2.13bn and net profit AED 1.48bn in 2025. Those are the Centre's figures across all its bodies, not the development arm's alone.
Every home it has launched has sold out: DIFC Living went in 48 hours in September 2023, Heights Tower's 366 homes in three days in April 2025, and The Residences' 463 homes on launch week in February 2026.
The original land bank is finished: Heights Tower stands on the last plot of the original district, so further growth runs through DIFC Zabeel District — 7.1 million sq ft of land whose first phase opens in 2030.

Why GRAF recommends DIFC

GRAF sells The Residences by DIFC — DIFC suits a buyer who wants an address inside a free zone with its own regulator, its own courts under English common law and its own property register, in the middle of Dubai between Downtown and the World Trade Centre.

What the record shows

The ownership answer is in statuteFederal Decree No. 35 of 2004 created the zone and Article 3 of Dubai Law No. 5 of 2021 states its status in one sentence. Both are published in full and can be read.
The developer already delivered a building on timeDIFC Square, DIFC Developments' first completed project, opened in March 2026 within its stated 24-month design and construction window, 100 per cent pre-leased before handover.
The Residences is itemised and dated463 residences in two towers, from 846 sq ft to 4,489 sq ft, unveiled 9 February 2026 and confirmed sold out on 13 February, after previews for more than 3,000 brokers.

GRAF editorial team

DIFC — frequently asked questions

Who owns DIFC?

The Government of Dubai. DIFC is a financial free zone, not a company — Federal Decree No. 35 of 2004 created it and Article 3 of Dubai Law No. 5 of 2021 regulates it as a free zone with financial and administrative independence, affiliated to the Government. It has no shares and no shareholders.

Source: Dubai Law No. (5) of 2021 Concerning the Dubai International Financial Centre

Who builds the homes at DIFC?

DIFC Developments, the property arm of DIFC Investments Ltd. Heights Tower is described in DIFC's own release as "a project by DIFC Developments" and The Residences as "developed and overseen by DIFC Developments". Each residential release is signed by Saleh Al Akrabi, Chief Real Estate Officer at DIFC Investments.

Source: DIFC — DIFC unveils The Residences, 9 February 2026

Has DIFC handed over any homes?

Not yet. DIFC Living, its first residential project, was given a completion of Q3 2026 when sales opened in September 2023, and no completion announcement has been published. Heights Tower is stated for 2029 and The Residences launched in February 2026.

Source: DIFC — DIFC Living fully sold out at record pace, 22 September 2023

What has DIFC actually completed?

DIFC Square, opened on 9 March 2026 ahead of schedule. Three interconnected buildings hold 600,000 square feet of Grade A offices and 17,200 square feet of retail, fully pre-leased before handover and built within a 24-month design and construction window.

Source: DIFC — DIFC Square opens ahead of schedule, 9 March 2026

What is DIFC Zabeel District?

A six-phase expansion of the financial centre launched by the Ruler on 27 January 2026. It covers 7.1 million square feet of land with 17.7 million square feet of gross floor area and a gross development value above AED 100 billion. The first phase opens by 2030 and the master plan completes in 2040.

Source: Government of Dubai Media Office — AED100 billion expansion of DIFC, 27 January 2026

How is property registered inside DIFC?

In DIFC's own register. Article 3(c) of Dubai Law No. 5 of 2021 keeps a register of real property in the DIFC, supervised by the DIFC registrar of real property, covering rights, interests and dispositions of property inside the district's approved geographical area.

Source: Dubai Law No. (5) of 2021, Article 3(c)

How large is DIFC as a business district?

The free zone held 8,844 active companies and 50,200 professionals at the end of 2025, with combined revenues of AED 2.13 billion and net profit of AED 1.48 billion. Those numbers describe the jurisdiction, not the property portfolio.

Source: DIFC Annual Report 2025

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Official sources

Official website DIFC — official site Dubai Law No. (5) of 2021 Concerning the Dubai International Financial Centre Dubai International Financial Centre — Wikipedia DIFC — LinkedIn DIFC — X

About this profile

Maintained by the GRAF editorial team from public sources and our own project data. Updated 21 August 2026. Contact us