Omniyat The Opus Downtown Dubai

The Opus by Omniyat is the Zaha Hadid glass cube on the Business Bay edge of Downtown Dubai, in what the DLD calls the Burj Khalifa district. It holds just 96 fully furnished residences of about 984 to 4,436 sq ft, above the ME Dubai hotel, offices, restaurants and bars, and has been complete since 2020. PropertyPistol lists 1 BHK resale from AED 3.0 M, about Rs 7.73 Cr at 25.75 rupees to the dirham.

This is a finished, scarce, expensive building, and the useful question is not whether it is nice but what the premium over an ordinary Downtown tower costs per sq ft and whether that premium does anything for you. This page prints the conflicting starting prices, the per sq ft range, the fees on the entry unit and the case for and against for a buyer remitting from India. See all Dubai projects we track for the rest of the district.

At a glance

Price and unit pricing

Four starting prices are in print for the same 96 units. They are not all wrong; they are from different dates and different floors.

The per sq ft figures are more telling. Property Finder's current listings run about AED 3,574 to 5,587 per sq ft. At the PropertyPistol entry of AED 3.0 M, a 984 sq ft 1 BHK is AED 3,049 per sq ft, so the AED 3.0 M unit is either smaller than 984 sq ft or a price that will move before you sign. Against the Downtown average of AED 2,650 to 3,170 per sq ft, the building trades 35 to 75 per cent higher.

Payment plan and total cost

There is no plan on a completed building. You pay in full at transfer or with a UAE mortgage, and you should ask the bank before you offer: some lenders cap loan-to-value on hotel-serviced residences below the usual 50 to 60 per cent for non-residents.

The service charge is the missing number. No source checked prints a rate for The Opus, and hotel-serviced buildings in this district sit at the top of Dubai's range, where some towers charge AED 38 to 55 per sq ft. On 984 sq ft that would be AED 37,000 to 54,000 a year. Do not offer without the last two service-charge invoices in hand.

Location and connectivity

The cube sits on the Business Bay side of the Burj Khalifa district, a short walk from Dubai Canal and about five minutes by car from Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall. Business Bay Metro station is about ten minutes on foot, DIFC about ten minutes by car, and Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road about five. Dubai International Airport is about 15 to 20 minutes, the Jumeirah beaches about 15.

The DLD address is Business Bay rather than Downtown, which is why the same building is listed under both names. Business Bay is denser and still has towers going up, so the immediate streets are less finished than the Opera District. The canal frontage, the hotel and the restaurants in the building itself are the reason the location works.

Amenities and specifications

Residences are sold fully furnished with interiors by Zaha Hadid Design, curved floor-to-ceiling glazing and access to the ME Dubai hotel's concierge, pool, gym, restaurants and bars, with housekeeping on request. The offices and the hotel occupy the rest of the 20 floors. Because furniture is part of the sale, the sale agreement should carry a signed inventory; a unit stripped of its designed pieces resells for less. Final as per the sale agreement.

About the developer

Omniyat was founded in Dubai in 2005 and works only at the top of the market. Its delivered projects include The Opus itself, One at Palm Jumeirah (22 floors, 94 apartments, with three penthouses sold for a combined AED 260 M) and The Lana, Dorchester Collection on Marasi Bay. In the first half of 2025 it led Dubai's USD 10 M-plus segment. The Opus took twelve years from ground-breaking in 2008 to residences in 2020, through the 2009 downturn; that history is irrelevant to a buyer of a finished unit but relevant to anyone buying Omniyat off-plan.

For Indian buyers

Ownership. Business Bay and Downtown are freehold. An Indian citizen holds the DLD title deed outright.

Remittance. AED 3.0 M is about USD 817,000 and the fees take it past USD 865,000. The LRS allows USD 250,000 per person per financial year, so a couple needs two financial years, or a third co-owner to complete in one. Sellers of ready units expect completion within 30 to 60 days.

Golden Visa. The 10-year visa needs AED 2 M of property; the entry unit is AED 3.0 M, so one apartment covers the applicant and dependants.

Yield and tax. At 35 to 75 per cent above the district rate, rents do not scale to match, so a gross yield near 4 per cent is realistic against Downtown's 5 to 7 per cent. Short lets through the hotel can lift that in season, but the service charge is unknown until you see the invoices. There is no UAE property or rental-income tax; the rent is taxable in India as income from house property after the 30 per cent standard deduction. The exit is thin: 96 units means a handful of sales a year, so pricing is set by the last deal and by patience.

Pros

• A Zaha Hadid building with 96 residences — scarcity no new tower can copy
• Complete since 2020, with the ME Dubai hotel and its restaurants in the same structure
• Furnished, hotel-serviced units that suit owners who visit rather than live here
• AED 3.0 M clears the Golden Visa line with room to spare
• Omniyat has delivered its other landmarks and leads the USD 10 M-plus segment
• Dubai Canal within a short walk

Cons

• AED 3,574 to 5,587 per sq ft — 35 to 75 per cent above the Downtown average
• Four starting prices in print for the entry unit, from AED 2.13 M to AED 3.2 M
• Service charge not published; hotel-serviced buildings sit at the top of the range
• Thin resale market — comparables are rare
• Lenders may cap loan-to-value on hotel-serviced residences
• Business Bay on the DLD record, not Downtown

Who this is for

• Buyers who want a signature building and will pay for a name that cannot be replicated
• Owners who spend weeks at a time in Dubai and want a furnished home with hotel services
• Golden Visa applicants who want one distinctive asset
• Collectors of architect-designed property who understand thin markets

Who should look elsewhere

• Yield investors — the rate is far above the district and the running cost is unknown
• Anyone who needs a payment plan; W Residences Downtown, a branded tower still under construction, has a 20/60/20 plan
• Buyers who want a deep resale market with weekly comparables, such as BLVD Heights with its 492 units
• Budgets under about AED 3.19 M all-in

Our verdict

A trophy purchase that clears the Golden Visa line and keeps its scarcity value, at a rate that rules out a yield case. If the building means something to you, choose a canal- or Burj-facing unit, get the service-charge invoices and the furniture inventory in writing, and plan to hold for the long term. If what you want is Downtown exposure at the district rate, an Emaar tower from our project list will serve you better.

FAQs

What is the price of The Opus by Omniyat?

PropertyPistol lists 1 BHK resale from AED 3.0 M, about Rs 7.73 Cr. Other sources print starting prices of AED 2,134,633, AED 2.6 M and AED 3,204,965; the spread is the difference between an older listing, a lower-floor unit and a current asking price. Current listings run AED 3,574 to 5,587 per sq ft.

Is The Opus ready to move in?

Yes. The structure topped out in October 2017, the ME Dubai hotel opened in February 2020 and Omniyat announced the residences ready to move in 2020. PropertyPistol carries December 2020. All units on sale are resales with title deeds.

Is there a payment plan?

No. It is a completed building, so you pay in full at transfer or with a UAE mortgage. Ask the bank first: some cap lending on hotel-serviced residences.

How many residences are there?

96, fully furnished, from 984 sq ft to 4,436 sq ft, including duplexes and a triplex. The rest of the 20-floor cube is the ME Dubai hotel with 93 keys, offices, restaurants and bars.

What are the service charges?

None of the sources checked publishes the rate. Hotel-serviced Downtown and Business Bay buildings sit at the top of the range, which runs to AED 38 to 55 per sq ft in some towers. Get the last two invoices from the seller before you agree a price.

Does it qualify for the Golden Visa?

Yes. The 10-year visa needs property worth AED 2 M or more; the entry unit is AED 3.0 M.

Can an Indian citizen buy at The Opus?

Yes. Business Bay and Downtown are freehold. AED 3.0 M is about USD 817,000; under the LRS each person can remit USD 250,000 per financial year, so a couple needs two financial years or a third co-owner.

What rental yield should I expect?

Lower than a standard Downtown unit. At AED 3,574 to 5,587 per sq ft the price is 35 to 75 per cent above the district average, while rents do not scale by the same margin, so a gross yield near 4 per cent is more realistic than the 5 to 7 per cent Downtown range.

What has Omniyat delivered?

The Opus, One at Palm Jumeirah (94 apartments, 22 floors) and The Lana, Dorchester Collection. It led Dubai's USD 10 M-plus segment in the first half of 2025. The Opus itself took from 2008 to 2020 to finish.

Thinking about The Opus? Ask Realty Hunting for the current resale list with per sq ft rates, the service-charge invoices, and a visit that pairs it with two Emaar towers so you can see what the premium buys.