AHS Properties is turning one of Sheikh Zayed Road's best-known unfinished buildings, the clock tower long nicknamed Dubai's "Big Ben", into AHS Tower, a 69-storey Grade A office tower. The clock is gone, the facade is being redone in glass, and the developer says the building is sold out ahead of a planned opening in the first quarter of 2027.
Credit: AHS Properties
The Tower Before AHS: Then and Now
Before AHS took over, the building was the Al Yaqoub Tower. Its clock faces and pointed, Big Ben-style crown made it one of the most recognisable shapes on Sheikh Zayed Road. The photo below shows the finished clock tower in 2020, standing empty opposite Emirates Towers and DIFC. Compare it with the new all-glass AHS Tower design at the top of this article.
Credit: Mahakmittal061, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (6 March 2020)
Why the "Big Ben" Tower Stood Empty for So Long
A boom-era project. The tower was developed by Al Yaqoub Group as Al Yaqoub Tower. Adnan Saffarini Engineering designed it and Lebanon's Arabian Construction Company was the main contractor, The National reported. At first Dubai Municipality rejected the design, worried that a giant clock would distract drivers on Sheikh Zayed Road. The plans were eventually approved and work began in 2006.
Early delays and the financial crisis. In 2007 the developer decided to turn the project commercial, possibly with a hotel, instead of residential. According to The National, that design change stalled progress. Construction carried on through the global financial crisis, but the project ran years behind its original deadline. The National later called it possibly "the last remnant of an era" of gimmicky boom-time designs.
A dispute with the bank. The building has stood empty since 2013 following a financial dispute between its previous owners and Commercial Bank of Dubai, Bloomberg reported (via Arabian Business). It stayed unused for about a decade, until AHS Properties bought it from Commercial Bank of Dubai in July 2025.
The leasehold problem. Gulf News reported that commercial buildings on Sheikh Zayed Road were largely restricted to leasehold ownership, so renting out the space was the main option for any buyer. That changed when new freehold rules in early 2025 allowed strata sales on the road. This is what let AHS sell the offices individually.
The Deal: From "Big Ben" to AHS Tower
The tower stood empty for about a decade on the edge of Dubai's financial district. AHS founder and CEO Abbas Sajwani told Khaleej Times that AHS bought the building from the Commercial Bank of Dubai in July 2025 for approximately USD 120 million (AED 440.4 million). AHS republished Bloomberg's report of the purchase on its own website.
Sajwani's reasoning was simple. The site looks over DIFC, the Museum of the Future, Burj Khalifa and the sea, and it is very hard to find empty land there. Because the structure was already built, finishing it is much faster than building from scratch.
"We are removing the clock from this tower as we are doing a new facade to give the building a new identity," Sajwani told Khaleej Times.
Credit: AHS Properties
Credit: AHS Properties
From Leasing to Strata Sales
AHS first planned to finish the building and lease it out, since commercial towers on Sheikh Zayed Road were largely leasehold. When new rules allowed freehold strata sales of office units on the road, AHS chose to sell the offices off-plan instead.
Demand was strong. In January 2026, Sajwani said about 95% of the units had sold, worth around USD 600 million. By February 2026, Khaleej Times reported the tower had sold out, bringing in more than USD 700 million (AED 2.57 billion).
Credit: AHS Properties
Credit: AHS Properties
Credit: AHS Properties
Key Facts at a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| New name | AHS Tower (formerly known as the "Big Ben" or clock tower) |
| Location | Sheikh Zayed Road, Trade Centre area, near DIFC |
| Developer | AHS Properties (founder and CEO Abbas Sajwani) |
| Bought from | Commercial Bank of Dubai, July 2025 |
| Purchase price | About USD 120 million (AED 440.4 million) |
| Floors | 69 |
| Use | Grade A offices, sold as freehold strata units |
| Architect | Killa Design (designers of the Museum of the Future); interiors by AHS Atelier |
| Sales | Sold out, more than USD 700 million (Feb 2026) |
| Planned opening | Q1 2027 (Dubai Land Department register lists completion as 31 January 2027) |
Credit: AHS Properties
Credit: AHS Properties
Inside the Tower: Offices and Amenities
AHS describes the tower as a "landmark destination conceived to redefine the modern workplace". It has flexible office layouts and two amenity levels. AHS says the tower will have 17 express lifts and more than 500 parking spaces, with a fitness club on level 62 and a wellness centre on level 63.
The amenities listed on the official AHS Tower page are:
- Grand lobby, reception and lounge, and a coffee bar
- Curated retail pop-ups and an art and exhibition space
- Ascent Clubhouse, a private members' club
- Men's barber and ladies' beauty salons
- Fitness club, Pilates and yoga studio
- Swimming pool and jacuzzi, spa treatment room and steam room
- The Sky Gallery and a rooftop garden
Credit: AHS Properties
Credit: AHS Properties
Credit: AHS Properties
Credit: AHS Properties
Credit: AHS Properties
Credit: AHS Properties
Credit: AHS Properties
Credit: AHS Properties
Credit: AHS Properties
Credit: AHS Properties
Credit: AHS Properties
AHS's Wider Commercial Push on Sheikh Zayed Road
AHS Tower was AHS Properties' first move into commercial property. It isn't the last. The developer has since unveiled a new G+50 Grade A office tower on Sheikh Zayed Road with offices from 1,800 to 17,563 sq ft, 30,000 sq ft of wellness and fitness space and 12,000 sq ft of dining, priced from AED 7.2 million.
Both projects bet on the same idea, which Sajwani sums up as "Dubai lacks Grade A offices". Office rents and occupancy have climbed as new companies pour into the city, and very little top-grade space is being added. Read more on why Grade A offices are so scarce in Dubai and our investor guide to buying an office in Business Bay.
What It Means for Investors
AHS Tower is sold out, so buyers who missed it may only find units on the resale market. For investors who want new Grade A space on Sheikh Zayed Road, the newer AHS G+50 tower is the next option from the same developer. Strata ownership on the road is still new, and these early sell-outs show how much demand there is for well-located, amenity-led offices.
Register Your Interest
Want offices on Sheikh Zayed Road, including resale units in AHS Tower or the new AHS G+50 tower? Contact Luxwell Real Estate to register your interest and get availability and pricing.
Sources: AHS Properties (official website and Instagram), Khaleej Times, Gulf News, Bloomberg via AHS Properties, and the Dubai Land Department project register. All images are official AHS Properties renders.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Big Ben tower in Dubai?
- It is the long-vacant clock tower on Sheikh Zayed Road, nicknamed Big Ben for its resemblance to London's clock tower. AHS Properties bought it and is converting it into AHS Tower, a 69-storey Grade A office building.
How much did AHS Properties pay for the tower?
- Abbas Sajwani said AHS bought it from the Commercial Bank of Dubai in July 2025 for approximately USD 120 million (AED 440.4 million).
Will AHS Tower still have the clock?
- No. The clock has been removed as part of a new glass facade that gives the building a new identity.
When will AHS Tower open?
- AHS plans to open it in the first quarter of 2027. The Dubai Land Department register lists completion as 31 January 2027.
Can I still buy an office in AHS Tower?
- The tower was reported sold out in February 2026, so any availability would be resale. AHS's new G+50 office tower on Sheikh Zayed Road is on sale from AED 7.2 million. Contact Luxwell to register your interest.
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