Berkeley Tower by Ellington and the Christian A. Rockefeller Tower by LMD are two Sheikh Zayed Road office towers in Business Bay, launched within days of each other in October 2026. Berkeley Tower is the smaller, design led building with 109 offices and higher ceilings. The Rockefeller tower is the taller, larger building with about 332 offices, a famous name and a gentler payment plan. Neither developer has published an official price list yet, so the honest comparison today is on building, payment plan, developer and costs.
We compared both line by line from the developers’ own materials, the Dubai Land Department register and published news. Where a figure is not confirmed by the developer, we say so.
Berkeley Tower vs Christian A. Rockefeller Tower at a glance
| Berkeley Tower | Christian A. Rockefeller Tower | |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Ellington Properties | LMD. Registered developer: LMD Ventures Buying and Selling of Real Estate L.L.C |
| Sales | Ellington and authorised agents | Devmark, exclusive sales agent |
| Location | Sheikh Zayed Road, next to Business Bay Metro Station | Sheikh Zayed Road, registered in Business Bay |
| Height and floors | Ground plus 60 floors over 6 basements | 87 floors, 372 m, offices on levels 15 to 85 |
| Offices | 109 | 332 offices. The DLD register lists 338 units |
| Office sizes | 1,132 to 22,191 sq ft, up to a triplex | 1,077 to about 13,400 sq ft, up to a full floor |
| Ceiling height | 3.8 to 4.1 m | Not stated in the factsheet |
| Lifts | 12 double deck passenger lifts, 1 service lift, 2 parking lifts | 23 lifts with 39 cabins, including 16 double deck |
| Parking | 6 basements, ground floor, 12 automated bays and robotic parking | 1,100+ spaces over 4 basements and 12 podium levels |
| Payment plan | 70/30 | 50/50 |
| Paid in the first 12 months | 40% | 20% |
| Handover | Not yet published by Ellington | Q2 2031 per the LMD factsheet |
| Service charge | AED 24 per sq ft, anticipated by Ellington | AED 18 per sq ft, LMD estimate |
| Price list | Not yet published by Ellington | Not yet published by LMD. Prices on request |
| Ownership | Freehold | Freehold |
| Sustainability | Designed to Dubai Al Sa’fat green building standards | Not stated in the factsheet |
Price: what is known and what is not
Neither Ellington nor LMD has published a price list. Sales channels are quoting indicative figures in the region of AED 4,000 to AED 5,000 per sq ft for both towers, and the quotes differ from one agent to the next. Treat any number as indicative until you hold the developer’s own price list and the Sales and Purchase Agreement.
The register gives useful context. Between 31 August and 12 October 2026, ready offices in Business Bay sold at a median AED 1,879 per sq ft across 77 registered sales, while new off plan offices in the district sold at a median AED 5,688 across 50 sales. New Grade A launches on Sheikh Zayed Road price far above the existing stock, which is why the checks in our commercial office investment guide matter so much here.
| Example office | At AED 4,000 per sq ft | At AED 4,500 per sq ft | At AED 5,000 per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockefeller smallest, 1,077 sq ft | AED 4,308,000 | AED 4,846,500 | AED 5,385,000 |
| Berkeley smallest, 1,132 sq ft | AED 4,528,000 | AED 5,094,000 | AED 5,660,000 |
Payment plans compared
This is the clearest difference between the two towers. Berkeley Tower asks for more cash early. The Rockefeller tower asks for less early and more at handover.
| Stage | Berkeley Tower, 70/30 | Christian A. Rockefeller Tower, 50/50 |
|---|---|---|
| On booking | 20% | Part of the 20% due in year one |
| First 12 months in total | 40%: 20% on booking plus 5% at 90, 180, 240 and 360 days | 20% |
| During construction in total | 70%, with 5% at each of the 20% to 70% construction milestones | 50% |
| On completion | 30% | 50% |
| DLD fee | 4% of the price | 4% of the price |
On an AED 5 million office, Berkeley Tower asks for about AED 2 million in the first year and Rockefeller about AED 1 million. Rockefeller leaves AED 2.5 million to pay or finance at handover, against AED 1.5 million at Berkeley. Investors who plan to sell before completion usually prefer less paid in. Investors who want a smaller balance at handover usually prefer the 70/30.
The buildings
Berkeley Tower by Ellington
- 109 offices on ground plus 60 floors, 579,681 sq ft of sellable office area.
- Floors 1 to 10 hold 8 offices each from 1,132 sq ft. Floors 51 and 52 are full floor offices of 12,182 sq ft. Floors 54 and 55 are a 21,873 sq ft duplex and floors 56 to 58 a 22,191 sq ft triplex.
- Floors 32 to 35 are shared amenity levels with co working, a clubhouse, a fitness studio and office terraces. The 60th floor is planned for an air taxi vertiport.
- Ceilings of 3.8 to 4.1 m, a 4,015 sq ft double height lobby, smart access gates, EV charging and Al Sa’fat green building design.
- Full detail on our Berkeley Tower by Ellington page.
Christian A. Rockefeller Tower by LMD
- 87 floors and 372 m, with offices from level 15 to level 85 and five amenity levels.
- Offices from 1,077 sq ft. Half floors of 5,887 to 7,555 sq ft and full floors of 11,541 to about 13,400 sq ft on levels 71 to 80.
- 1.77 million sq ft of built up area, 23 lifts with 39 cabins and more than 1,100 parking spaces.
- Amenities include a padel court and two infinity pools, one beside an observatory on level 87.
- The DLD project register lists 338 units in total, which includes shops and a gym as well as offices. The register shows the project start as 15 October 2026. Source: DLD project register entry, as published from Dubai Pulse.
The developers
| Ellington Properties | LMD | |
|---|---|---|
| Known for | Design led residential buildings in Dubai | Residential, hospitality and mixed use in the UAE, Egypt, Spain and Greece |
| Office experience | Berkeley Tower is its second office building after Eaton Square in MBR City | Christian A. Rockefeller Tower is its first office tower in Dubai that we can find |
| Recent Dubai delivery | Berkeley Place, MBR City, 127 apartments, handover announced January 2025 | Marina Living, Dubai Marina, 205 apartments, handover announced August 2026 |
| Company figures | Not published in the sources we used | Founded in Egypt in 2007, in the UAE since 2012, more than 15,800 units delivered across markets, by its own account |
Both developers have handed over Dubai projects recently. Ellington has the longer record in Dubai. LMD has the larger international record. Before you buy either, check the project’s escrow account and registration on the Dubai Land Department system and read the delay and grace period clauses in the Sales and Purchase Agreement.
Does the Rockefeller name matter?
The tower carries the name of Christian A. Rockefeller under a brand arrangement described in the sales materials. Buyers should not assume any link to Rockefeller Center or the Rockefeller Group, which are separate businesses. Ask to see the brand terms before you treat the name as part of the value.
For American tenants, a familiar name can help a building get onto a shortlist. The United States ranked first for foreign direct investment capital into Dubai in H1 2025, with 35% of inflows, and 3,690 American companies were active members of Dubai Chamber of Commerce by September 2025, 787 of them new in the first nine months of 2025. Source: Dubai Media Office, November 2025. The final choice of an occupier still rests on location, landlord and building quality.
Which tower suits which buyer?
| If you want | Look first at |
|---|---|
| Higher ceilings and a smaller, more exclusive building | Berkeley Tower |
| A full floor, duplex or triplex for your own headquarters | Berkeley Tower |
| Less cash in the first year | Christian A. Rockefeller Tower |
| A lower anticipated service charge per sq ft | Christian A. Rockefeller Tower |
| A name international tenants may recognise | Christian A. Rockefeller Tower |
| A developer with a longer Dubai record | Berkeley Tower |
| The earliest likely handover | Wait for Ellington to publish its date |
What the developers have not published yet
- Official price lists for both towers.
- Berkeley Tower’s handover date and DLD project registration.
- Ceiling heights and green building standard for the Rockefeller tower.
- The brand licence terms behind the Rockefeller name.
We will update this comparison as soon as each developer publishes them.
Frequently asked questions
Which is bigger, Berkeley Tower or the Christian A. Rockefeller Tower?
The Rockefeller tower: 87 floors, 372 m and about 332 offices, against ground plus 60 floors and 109 offices at Berkeley Tower.
What is the payment plan for Berkeley Tower and the Rockefeller tower?
Berkeley Tower is 70/30 with 40% due in the first 12 months. The Rockefeller tower is 50/50 with 20% due in the first 12 months.
What is the price per sq ft of Berkeley Tower and the Rockefeller tower?
Neither developer has published a price list. Agents quote indicative figures of roughly AED 4,000 to AED 5,000 per sq ft. Ask for the developer’s own price list.
When will the Christian A. Rockefeller Tower be completed?
The LMD factsheet gives Q2 2031. Ellington has not yet published a handover date for Berkeley Tower.
Who is the developer of the Christian A. Rockefeller Tower?
LMD. The Dubai Land Department register lists the developer as LMD Ventures Buying and Selling of Real Estate L.L.C, with Devmark as exclusive sales agent.
Is the Rockefeller tower linked to Rockefeller Center?
Buyers should not assume so. The name is used under a brand arrangement. Rockefeller Center and the Rockefeller Group are separate businesses.
What are the service charges?
Ellington anticipates AED 24 per sq ft a year at Berkeley Tower. LMD estimates AED 18 per sq ft a year at the Rockefeller tower.
Method and sources
- Berkeley Tower figures come from Ellington’s project brief, also summarised on our Berkeley Tower by Ellington page.
- Christian A. Rockefeller Tower figures come from the LMD factsheet and floor plan brochure dated October 2026, as issued to sales agents. LMD has not published them on a public website that we could find.
- Register figures come from the Dubai Land Department open data: project register for the Rockefeller entry and sales file for 31 August to 12 October 2026 for Business Bay office prices.
- Indicative prices are agents’ quotes, not developer prices, and are shown only as a range.
- Developer histories: Middle East Construction News, January 2025 and LMD press release on Zawya, August 2026. US investment figures: Dubai Media Office, November 2025.
- All details are subject to the Sales and Purchase Agreement. Cresco Real Estate, RERA ORN 34288, can send both developers’ current materials on request.