If you are searching for the Red Diamond building, you have most likely found the low-rise commercial building in Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT), Dubai. It is an office building that is part of the DMCC free zone community. It is a mid-sized, office-focused address, not a landmark skyscraper. That is useful to know before you start comparing it with other JLT buildings.
This guide covers where the building is, what it offers, what leasing there typically costs, and what to verify before you sign. The facts come from published listings and broker guides, and some of them disagree with each other. I flag those places so you can check them yourself.
What Is the Red Diamond Building?
Red Diamond is a commercial building inside JLT, a large mixed-use district in Dubai. JLT is organised into clusters of three towers each, with clusters labelled by letters A to Z. It is not one of the well-known glass towers that dominate the area’s skyline. One broker guide describes it as a three-storey, low-rise commercial building.
Its main draw is the licence environment. The building sits within DMCC, a designated Dubai free zone that covers offices, residences, retail, restaurants, parks and lakes. That setup suits companies that want free zone benefits and a physical office instead of a flexi-desk.
Which kind of company uses a building like this?
Based on the unit sizes advertised, the building suits:
- Established SMEs that need a full floor or a large fitted unit
- Regional offices of international companies
- Trading, consulting and services businesses that hold a DMCC licence
- Teams that want street-level retail or cafés close to the office
I haven’t seen a verified tenant list, so treat this as an inference from the stock on the market, not a statement about who actually occupies the building.
Location and Access
Roads and transport
Red Diamond is reached from Al Sarayat Street and Sheikh Zayed Road. One listing also notes easy access to the Dubai Metro. Verify the walking distance to the nearest station yourself, because a listing’s “close to the Metro” can mean very different things in summer heat.
What’s around the building
Listings mention a Carrefour Express and plenty of cafés and restaurants nearby. JLT is a dense district, so daily needs such as lunch, errands and meetings are usually within a short walk or drive. Visit at rush hour to judge traffic and parking pressure before you commit.
Red Diamond Building at a Glance
Published sources give different figures for several basics. I list the range and flag the conflict instead of choosing one number.
| Detail | What sources report | Reliability note |
| Building type | Commercial, office and retail | Consistent across sources |
| Floors | Described as G+3, a “triple-story” building, and 4 floors | Likely the same structure counted differently. Confirm it. |
| Offices | About 16 in one guide, 39 in portal listings | Conflicting. Ask the broker for the current unit schedule. |
| Retail units | 12 | Consistent between sources |
| Building area | About 96,036 sq ft of office area in one guide, 116,433 sq ft total on portals | These may measure different things (office area versus total built area). |
| Completion | One guide says delivered in 2011, another says “TBA”, and a developer profile says “founded 2019” | Unresolved. Check with DMCC or the Dubai Land Department. |
| Ownership | Single owner, freehold per listings | Confirm through title documents |
The same guide lists two passenger lifts plus one service lift, and a typical floor plate of about 24,014 sq ft. Listing features also mention a gym and health club facilities.
Office Space and Layouts
Shell and core versus fitted
One guide says the building offers shell-and-core units and fitted units, and that a floor can be divided into up to six units. The practical difference matters:
- Fitted offices let you move in quickly. You are paying for someone else’s design choices, though, so check the layout, partitions and condition.
- Shell-and-core space gives you control but adds fit-out cost and time. You also need landlord and authority approvals for the works.
Typical unit sizes
Current listings for the building mostly show larger units, from about 4,500 sq ft up to a 16,000 sq ft floor. One 2026 listing covers a 4,572 sq ft fitted office. Another covers a 16,002 sq ft fully fitted space. If your team is small, check whether smaller units exist, or whether a smaller JLT building or serviced office would be a better fit.
The DMCC Free Zone Licence
A DMCC licence is attached to this building’s offices. The guide lists the licence type as DMCC/free zone and describes DMCC as open to many industries, not only commodities trading.
What that means for you:
- Your licensed activity must match what DMCC permits for your business.
- Free zone rules on ownership, visas and operating on the mainland differ from mainland company rules.
- A DMCC licence is not automatic with a lease. Confirm with DMCC how the tenancy and licence application link up.
Before relying on any benefit, read the current rules on the official DMCC website. Free zone conditions change, and I did not review DMCC’s own regulations for this article.
What Does It Cost to Lease Space in Red Diamond?
Asking rents change often, so treat these as a snapshot from listings, not a price list.
| Listing size | Annual asking rent | Approx. AED per sq ft |
| 4,572 sq ft (older listing) | AED 685,800 | 150 |
| 6,658 sq ft fitted | AED 1,331,600 | 200 |
| 6,858 sq ft fitted | AED 1,371,600 | 200 |
| 16,002 sq ft fitted | AED 3,200,400 | 200 |
| 4,572 sq ft fitted, furnished (July 2026) | AED 1,354,200 | about 296 |
I calculated the per-sq-ft figures by dividing each listed rent by the listed area. One Cushman & Wakefield listing quotes AED 200 per sq ft, subject to 5% VAT and excluding a service charge of AED 15 per sq ft. The spread between about 150 and 296 reflects different dates, fit-out levels and furnishing. Asking prices are also not the same as agreed prices.
Costs that don’t appear in the headline rent
- 5% VAT on the rent
- Service charges, quoted at AED 15 per sq ft in listings I saw
- Utilities and cooling. One listing notes the building is DEWA-only. Ask what cooling charges apply in practice.
- Parking beyond the allocation. That listing mentions one allotted space per 1,000 sq ft, which equals four covered spaces.
- Free zone licence and registration fees, which are separate from the lease
Advantages and Drawbacks
Potential advantages
- Free zone licence environment with a physical office
- Good road access to Sheikh Zayed Road
- Walkable amenities in JLT
- Large floor plates suitable for full-floor occupiers
- Parking allocation stated in listings
Potential drawbacks
- Few small units appear in current listings
- Conflicting published data on floors, area and completion year
- A low-rise building won’t offer the skyline views or prestige of a signature tower
- Listing claims such as “high-speed elevators” and “24/7 security” are marketing copy until verified
A Checklist Before You Sign
- Confirm the facts. Ask for the title deed, the unit’s actual measured area and the permitted use.
- Check licence compatibility. Confirm with DMCC that your activity can be licensed at this address.
- Read the service charge terms. Know what the charge covers and how it can change.
- Compare at least three similar JLT offices. Check size, fit-out and floor level against the asking rent.
- Inspect at different times. Visit during the morning rush and mid-afternoon to judge traffic, parking and noise.
- Clarify who pays for what. Maintenance, cooling, fit-out reinstatement and renewal terms all affect the real cost.
- Have the tenancy contract reviewed by a qualified professional if the commitment is large.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Trusting one listing. Different portals show different building data, as the table above illustrates.
- Comparing rent per sq ft without checking the area basis. Gross and net areas can differ.
- Ignoring the fit-out condition. A “fitted” label does not mean the layout suits your team.
- Forgetting the licence timeline. A lease and a licence need to be coordinated, not handled one after the other.
Other Things Called a “Red Diamond Building”
Some readers searching this phrase are looking for something different, so here is a quick sorting guide:
- Red Diamond (Chiasmus Partners): An architecture project documented on ArchDaily, described with brick, facade and courtyard images. I did not review the details, so check ArchDaily if this is what you want.
- Diamond-shaped towers: Several buildings have “diamond” nicknames, such as 11 Diagonal Street in Johannesburg and the Crain Communications Building in Chicago. Neither is called Red Diamond.
- Red diamond gemstones: The 2.33 ct Winston Red is described by GIA as the fifth-largest Fancy red diamond known. That is a gem, not a building.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Red Diamond building in Dubai?
It is in Jumeirah Lake Towers, within the DMCC free zone community. Access is via Al Sarayat Street and Sheikh Zayed Road.
Is Red Diamond a residential or a commercial building?
It is commercial. Listings and broker guides describe offices and retail units, not apartments.
Is the building freehold?
Listings describe it as a freehold commercial development. Verify that against the title documents before relying on it.
How much is office rent in Red Diamond JLT?
Recent listings show asking rents of roughly AED 150 to 296 per sq ft per year, depending on size, fit-out and date. VAT and service charges are extra, and rents change often.
Do I need a DMCC licence to lease there?
Listings advertise the offices for DMCC or free zone licence use. Confirm the exact requirements for your activity directly with DMCC.
Conclusion
Red Diamond is a practical, low-rise office address in JLT. It is best suited to businesses that want a DMCC free zone licence and a full-floor or large fitted office. Its main strengths are its location and large floor plates. Its main weak point is that published details about it are inconsistent.
Your next step is to shortlist two or three comparable JLT offices, request the unit-specific documents for each, and check licence eligibility with DMCC. If you would like help weighing your options, contact the Khaleej Edge team.
