Market
DLRC is densifying fast: less prestigious than the centre, but with high occupancy and rents that have been rising for three years. Demand comes from professionals who want new-build without Downtown pricing.
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Dubai
The Archive, DLRC
Entry ticket from AED 666,000, fully furnished, handover Q3 2028
WAH Score
8,0/ 10
The asset in numbers
- Layouts
- Studio to 3 bedroom, 360 to 1,314 sqft
- Developer
- Imtiaz Developments
- Status
- Off-plan, handover Q3 2028
- Entry price
- from AED 666,000
- Payment plan
- 60/40, 20% on booking
- Delivery
- Fully furnished
- Gross yield
- 8.5%
- Horizon
- 3-5 years
- Liquidity
- Fair
Furnished studio to 3 bed - developer off-plan in Dubai: the asset in detail
The Archive is Imtiaz Developments' new project at Dubai Land Residence Complex: an address built around a two-level library, with fully furnished homes from studio to three bedrooms, starting at AED 666,000. Here is our investor read: the numbers, the target yield, the limits and our decision.
Dubai Land Residence Complex, or DLRC, is a mid-market residential community: human-scale buildings, price per sqft well below the centre, and rental demand driven by families and young professionals working in Business Bay, Silicon Oasis or Dubai Design District. Direct access to Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road and Al Ain Road puts Downtown around twenty minutes away and the airport around twenty-five.
The Archive, by Imtiaz Developments, plays an unusual card: a double-height library at the entrance, a reading salon, a writer's room, a rooftop with pool and open-air cinema. In a market where mid-range projects look alike, that identity is a real relocation and resale argument: it is what makes one listing stand out among fifty in the same district.
Homes range from a 360 sqft studio to a 1,314 sqft three bedroom, all fully furnished. Prices start at AED 666,000 for a studio, AED 979,000 for a one bedroom, AED 1.55M for a two bedroom and AED 1.9M for a three bedroom. The payment plan is 60/40 with 20% on booking, and handover is announced for the third quarter of 2028.
WAH! Note
The best entry ticket in our Dubai selection: furnished, well placed on the Mohammed Bin Zayed corridor, with a rental yield that does the work.
WAH Score
8,0 / 10
Market7,8
Entry price8,5
Yield8,8
Liquidity8,0
Resale7,5
Risk7,5
The WAH Score is the weighted average of six investment criteria. It drives the decision.
BUYWAITPASS
Our investment analysis, criterion by criterion
Entry price
AED 666,000 for a 360 sqft studio, roughly AED 1,850 per sqft, furnished. One of the most accessible entry tickets for a new, furnished and well-connected product: the classic first investment.
Yield
Around 8.5% gross on small furnished layouts in DLRC, where a new studio typically rents between AED 55,000 and AED 62,000 a year. Included furniture removes a cost line at handover and shortens time to first tenant.
Liquidity & resale
Studios and one bedrooms under AED 1M are the most traded products in Dubai, so the buyer pool is wide. Resale will hinge on the project identity, the library and the furniture package rather than on the location.
Risk
Two watch points: Imtiaz is a solid but second-tier developer next to Emaar or Meraas, and DLRC will see heavy new supply delivered by 2028. The 60/40 plan spreads the effort, and the price gap with the centre leaves a safety margin.
In pictures
The Dubai market: what to know before you invest
DLRC at a glance
Dubai Land Residence Complex sits in south-east Dubai, between Dubai Silicon Oasis and Academic City. Schools, clinics and everyday retail are already in place, and access to the emirate's two main highways makes it a practical base for people working in the centre.
Why furnished changes the maths
A furnished studio rents faster, rents higher, and also reaches the medium-stay market. For a first remote investment it removes the furnishing step, which is often underestimated: budget AED 30,000 to AED 45,000 on a comparable layout.
Buying off-plan in Dubai
The purchase is made directly with the developer, funds go into a RERA-controlled escrow account, the contract is registered with the DLD through Oqood, and registration fees are 4%. There is no local tax on rent or capital gains in the UAE.
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly is The Archive by Imtiaz located?
At Dubai Land Residence Complex, south-east Dubai, with direct access to Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road and Al Ain Road. Downtown Dubai is about twenty minutes by car, the international airport around twenty-five.
What is the entry price and payment plan?
Prices start at AED 666,000 for a 360 sqft studio. The plan is 60/40 with 20% on booking, the balance called during construction and at handover, expected in the third quarter of 2028.
What rental yield should I expect?
We use around 8.5% gross on furnished studios and one bedrooms, based on current DLRC rents. Larger layouts mechanically yield less, closer to 7%.
Are the apartments delivered furnished?
Yes, The Archive is delivered fully furnished. That matters for a non-resident investor: the unit can be rented out as soon as keys are handed over.
Why is the WAH Score a BUY on this asset?
Because the entry ticket to yield ratio is the best in our Dubai selection, with a furnished product, a strong project identity and a staged payment plan. The score stays below our central assets because of the district and the volume of deliveries expected in 2028.
A question about this asset?
A WAH advisor answers your questions and shares the detailed assumptions behind the file.