Building 53

TL;DR: Building 53 is a freehold commercial and mixed-use development in Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) Phase 1, developed by Al Nafisi National Real Estate Group (established November 1993, Kuwait Stock Exchange-listed). Located in Umm Hurair 2 on 26th Street near Oman Insurance Company, the building serves as Al Nafisi's Dubai operational headquarters while offering full-floor office suites ranging from approximately 9,678 to 10,497 sq ft at annual rents of AED 955,800 to AED 1,575,000. Situated within the DHCC free zone (100% foreign ownership, 0% corporate tax, 50-year guarantee), the building is directly served by Dubai Healthcare City Metro Station (Green Line, G28) and sits within walking distance of Mediclinic City Hospital (280 beds) and Wafi Mall.

Introduction

Building 53 occupies a strategic position within Dubai Healthcare City Phase 1 — the Middle East's first and largest dedicated healthcare free zone, established in 2002 by decree of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Developed by Al Nafisi National Real Estate Group, a Kuwait Stock Exchange-listed real estate company established on November 3, 1993, this completed freehold building serves dual functions: as Al Nafisi's Dubai operational headquarters and as a commercial investment asset within one of the world's most concentrated clusters of healthcare infrastructure, medical education, and wellness services.

DHCC Phase 1 spans 4.1 million square feet in the Umm Hurair 2 sub-district of Bur Dubai, housing approximately 168 clinical facilities, 5+ hospitals, over 120 outpatient medical centres and diagnostic laboratories, and more than 4,000 licensed healthcare professionals. Building 53's position within this ecosystem places it at the intersection of Dubai's healthcare economy and its broader central business district — a convergence that drives sustained commercial demand from medical practices, healthcare support services, pharmaceutical companies, and the professional services firms that serve them.

Location & Connectivity

Building 53 is located on 26th Street within DHCC Phase 1, near the Oman Insurance Company office — a central position within the healthcare free zone's Phase 1 campus in Umm Hurair 2, Bur Dubai. The location delivers some of the most efficient commute times of any commercial address in Dubai.

Dubai Healthcare City Metro Station (G28) on the Green Line is the dedicated metro station serving the entire DHCC district, positioned within a 3 to 8-minute walk of most Phase 1 facilities. Adjacent Green Line stations include Oud Metha (G27) and Al Jaddaf (G29), with an interchange to the Red Line available at BurJuman station just two stops away. The station operates from 5:04 AM to 11:55 PM and is fully wheelchair accessible. Multiple RTA bus routes (13, 25, 27, E306, X13, F01, C05, C09) stop directly at the DHCC metro exit.

Drive times from Building 53 are exceptional: Dubai International Airport (DXB) in 8 to 13 minutes, Dubai Mall and Downtown Dubai in 13 to 15 minutes, Burj Al Arab in 23 minutes, and Palm Jumeirah in 25 minutes. Road access is via Oud Metha Road, Sheikh Rashid Road, and Umm Hurair Road — all arterial routes that connect directly to Dubai's highway network.

The immediately surrounding Al Jaddaf and Oud Metha neighbourhoods — among Dubai's oldest and most established districts — provide comprehensive daily services within walking distance or a short drive. Wafi Mall (Egyptian-themed, with the attached Khan Murjan Souk) sits approximately 600 metres from the DHCC Metro Station. Dubai Creek Park is approximately 645 metres away, housing the Dubai Dolphinarium and Children's City. The Raffles Dubai and Grand Hyatt Dubai hotels are within 1.1 km.

Architecture & Commercial Specifications

Building 53 presents a contemporary commercial architectural language consistent with the professional character of the DHCC Phase 1 campus. The building is designed to accommodate full-floor commercial tenancies, with individual floor plates ranging from approximately 9,678 to 10,497 sq ft — configurations that support medical practices requiring large contiguous spaces, corporate headquarters, and professional services firms.

Building infrastructure includes dedicated parking, high-speed elevators, CCTV security systems, broadband internet connectivity, and professional building management. The DHCC campus environment provides additional infrastructure benefits including pedestrian-friendly shaded walkways with clear directional signage, proximity to community gym, spa, and wellness facilities, and direct access to free zone licensing services.

Commercial Units & Market Pricing

Building 53's commercial inventory is structured around full-floor office suites — large-format spaces designed for institutional-grade tenants. Current rental market data from active listings demonstrates the following pricing:

A 9,678 sq ft full-floor office commands AED 1,550,000 annually (approximately AED 160 per sq ft). A 10,441 sq ft full-floor office is listed at AED 1,575,000 per year (approximately AED 151 per sq ft). A 9,753 sq ft configuration rents at AED 955,800 annually (approximately AED 98 per sq ft). A 10,497 sq ft floor commands AED 1,259,640 per year (approximately AED 120 per sq ft). The implied rental range of AED 98 to AED 160 per sq ft annually positions Building 53 competitively within the DHCC commercial market, where asking rents have risen 76% over the prior six months reflecting intensifying demand for healthcare-zone office space.

For broader DHCC residential market context (applicable to surrounding buildings), studio apartments sell from AED 408,000 to AED 694,000, 1-bedrooms from AED 580,000 to AED 3,000,000, and the median DHCC sale price sits at approximately AED 1,520,000 (AED 3,300 per sq ft median). Rental rates for DHCC residential units range from AED 25,000 to AED 104,000 annually for studios, AED 65,000 to AED 135,000 for 1-bedrooms, and AED 48,000 to AED 155,000 for 2-bedrooms.

DHCC Free Zone Benefits

Building 53's position within the DHCC free zone provides tenants and owners with one of the UAE's most business-friendly regulatory environments, specifically tailored to the healthcare and wellness sectors.

The free zone framework guarantees: 100% foreign ownership (no local partner requirement), 0% corporate tax (50-year guaranteed exemption, renewable), 0% personal income tax, 100% customs duty exemption, and 100% profit and capital repatriation. Available license types include Healthcare Facility License, Trading License, Service License, and Commercial License covering both clinical and non-clinical operations. The free zone is governed by the Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA) and regulated by the Centre for Healthcare Planning and Quality (CPQ), ensuring internationally benchmarked clinical governance standards.

DHCC Phase 2 — a 22 million sq ft expansion at Al Jaddaf overlooking Dubai Creek — extends this ecosystem with six specialised zones (Clinical, Healthcare Mixed Use, Long-Term Care, Spa Resorts, Canal Residence, and Town Centre), creating additional growth opportunities for businesses established in Phase 1.

Healthcare Ecosystem

Building 53 sits within walking distance of three major hospitals and over 120 outpatient facilities — a density of medical infrastructure unmatched anywhere in the Middle East.

Mediclinic City Hospital (Building 37, DHCC): 280 inpatient beds, JCI Accredited (2019), CAP laboratory accreditation (2008), ISO-15189 certified (2010), with specialties spanning cardiology, gynaecology, trauma, nuclear medicine, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, paediatrics, urology, vascular surgery, and oncology. A dedicated Comprehensive Cancer Centre operates in an adjacent building.

Emirates Specialty Hospital (Building 62, DHCC): 90 inpatient beds, 5 operating rooms, 5 labour/delivery rooms, 12 NICU beds, 5 ICU beds, 2 endoscopy suites, 30 outpatient clinics, and a 24/7 Emergency Department.

Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Hospital (DHCC): 200 beds across 32 medical specialties, opened 2015, with an announced AED 400 million expansion at DHCC.

Additional DHCC Phase 1 facilities include Dubai Dental Hospital, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery Hospital, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ibn Sina Medical Complex, and the Al Jalila Foundation. American Hospital Dubai and Rashid Hospital are both within 5 to 10 minutes by car.

Developer Profile

Al Nafisi National Real Estate Group is a Kuwaiti publicly-listed real estate company (Kuwait Stock Exchange) established on November 3, 1993. Headquartered in Qibla, Al Asimah, Kuwait City, the company specialises in the purchase, sale, ownership, development, and management of commercial real estate portfolios both within Kuwait and internationally. Core activities encompass land and building acquisition, development and construction of private and public buildings, property management on behalf of third parties, real estate advisory and feasibility studies, and investment in equities and financial portfolio management.

The company's Dubai presence is anchored by Building 53 in DHCC, which serves as both an investment asset and the group's UAE operational headquarters — a dual-purpose model that aligns the developer's long-term interests directly with the building's performance and maintenance standards. Management includes Osvaldo de Sousa (Managing Director) and Khaled Alnafski (Head of Strategy).

Investment Potential

Building 53 presents a specialised commercial investment thesis anchored in the structural growth of Dubai's healthcare economy. DHCC's position as the Middle East's largest healthcare free zone — with over 4,000 licensed professionals, 168 clinical facilities, and a regulatory framework that guarantees 0% corporate tax for 50 years — creates a demand environment that is fundamentally decoupled from the cyclicality affecting conventional commercial real estate. Healthcare services represent non-discretionary demand: regardless of economic conditions, medical practices, diagnostic laboratories, and healthcare support services require operational space.

The 76% increase in DHCC office asking rents over the prior six months reflects this structural demand intensification, driven by the expansion of existing medical groups (including Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib's AED 400 million hospital expansion), the growth of medical tourism to Dubai, and the broader professionalisation of the UAE's healthcare sector. Building 53's full-floor configurations of approximately 9,700 to 10,500 sq ft are particularly suited to the spatial requirements of medical practices and healthcare corporates — tenants who typically sign longer leases, invest in tenant improvements, and demonstrate lower vacancy rates than conventional office tenants.

With freehold ownership, Green Line metro connectivity, walking-distance proximity to three major hospitals, and the irreplaceable positioning within a 50-year tax-free healthcare free zone, Building 53 offers investors exposure to one of Dubai's most structurally sound and counter-cyclical commercial real estate segments.