DIEZ, the authority running Dubai Airport Freezone, Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubai CommerCity, published its H1 2026 operating figures on 17 August. It is a small but useful dataset if you track commercial real estate or the Dubai tech ecosystem: three campuses, self-reported by the operator, released on a half-year cadence.
The core numbers: 96 per cent occupancy across the zones, a 13 per cent year-on-year increase in operating companies, and 24 per cent workforce growth. Layered on top is venture data from Oraseya Capital, DIEZ's investment arm: 15 startup deals in the half, with deal value up 25 per cent. Dtec, the entrepreneur campus inside the zones, reported 57 per cent more new registrations, with AI firms specifically up 95 per cent, a proxy for sector composition shift if you are watching where AI startups cluster in the region.
Two capex figures worth tracking forward
Two supply-side numbers were disclosed alongside the results: District IO, an AED 11 billion technology district, and Block 14, an AED 1.8 billion first phase mixing residential and commercial space in Silicon Oasis. Block 14 has a stated completion year of 2029, the same year the Metro Blue Line is due to open, and sits near a planned station, useful if you are modeling transit-linked supply timing.
Together these figures give a rare combination for a free zone operator: occupancy, headcount, venture deal flow and capex commitments in one release. Compare them against other residential projects across Dubai due in the same 2029 window.
Originally published on Doment, Dubai property intelligence.
