Transparency
Scoring Methodology
This page answers every question a professional should ask before trusting a benchmark: what the data includes, what it excludes, how confident we are, and where it breaks down. If something is unclear, email us.
Decision-support tool — not professional advice
SiteScore outputs are indicative. They help you structure a deal analysis and identify risk flags — they do not replace a qualified leasing advisor, a legal review, or a surveyor's valuation. Always verify benchmarks against your specific deal before signing.
What the rent benchmarks represent
The most common professional questions — answered directly.
Q.Are these asking rents or achieved rents?
Primarily asking rents (headline rents) from published leasing schedules and market reports. Achieved rents after negotiation are typically 10–25% lower at Grade A malls and 5–15% lower at Grade B/C malls. SiteScore applies a size-adjustment to reflect that larger units attract better rates, but does not automatically discount for negotiation — that is your leverage to model.
Q.Are rent-free periods included?
No. Rent-free periods (typically 3–6 months at Grade A, 1–3 months at Grade B) are not factored into base benchmarks. They reduce your effective annual cost but are deal-specific. We flag this in the negotiation playbook — you should always model your effective annual rent after incentives.
Q.Are landlord contributions (fit-out contributions) included?
No. Landlord fit-out contributions are excluded from benchmarks. They are increasingly common at Grade A malls (AED 500K–2M for anchor-adjacent units) and can materially change the economics. Factor these into your payback period calculation manually.
Q.Are service charge and chilled water included in the OCR calculation?
Yes — this is a key differentiator from many tools. SiteScore calculates OCR on total occupancy cost: base rent + service charge + chilled water + marketing levy + any other fixed charges. This is how UAE leasing professionals calculate true OCR. A deal with AED 1,800/sqm base rent but AED 600/sqm in fixed charges is more expensive than one showing AED 2,200/sqm base with AED 200/sqm in charges.
Q.How recent is the data?
Benchmarks were last calibrated against Q1–Q2 2026 market data. UAE retail rents have been broadly stable since 2023 with Grade A malls seeing 3–8% annual escalation. We update the benchmark database twice per year. The 'last updated' date is shown on each mall's data card in the evaluation form.
Q.How many malls and categories are covered?
46 UAE malls across all 7 emirates, spanning Grade A+ to Grade C. 14 retail categories, each with separate OCR thresholds, gross margin assumptions, sales productivity benchmarks, and size-adjustment curves. Malls without specific data fall back to grade-level averages.
Q.Are benchmarks manually curated or AI-generated?
Manually curated. Benchmarks were aggregated from publicly available market information and industry research, combined with internal modelling, and validated against known deal ranges. AI is not used to generate or interpolate benchmark values. All thresholds are human-reviewed. No operator-provided, confidential, or internal lease data has been used.
Q.What confidence level should I apply?
Each mall entry carries a confidence rating: High (more publicly available market information for that mall), Medium (grade-interpolated from comparable malls), or Low (emirate-level average only). High-confidence entries are generally the larger, more widely-covered malls in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Confidence is shown in the evaluation form when you select a mall.
The Scoring Model
Every evaluation produces a score out of 100 across five weighted dimensions. Financial performance carries the highest weight because rent sustainability is the primary determinant of whether a retail business survives its lease term.
Financial Performance
35%OCR vs category benchmark, payback period, break-even sales, NPV/IRR across 3 scenarios (pessimistic / base / optimistic).
Visibility & Frontage
20%Unit position (ground / upper / basement), frontage width, corner unit premium, natural footfall path, signage opportunity.
Tenant Mix
20%Anchor tenant strength, complementary brand adjacency, category cluster quality, co-tenancy risk (too many direct competitors in cluster).
Competition
15%Estimated direct competitor count in the same mall and catchment, competitive density by category, cannibalization risk score.
Access & Parking
10%Customer accessibility — public transport links, road access from major highways, parking ratio, walking distance from main entry, delivery logistics.
Score Bands
OCR Benchmarks by Category
OCR = Total Annual Occupancy Cost ÷ Annual Sales. Total occupancy cost includes base rent + service charge + chilled water + marketing levy + other fixed charges. Sales figures are user-provided gross revenue projections.
Thresholds below reflect UAE Grade A/A+ mall conditions. Grade B/C malls typically have lower rents but also lower sales productivity — the OCR dynamics can be similar or worse depending on the category.
| Category | Healthy | Caution | At Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
Fashion / Apparel Brand adjacencies and conversion drive sales. Typical gross margin ~55%. | ≤15% | 15–18% | >18% |
F&B (Casual Dining) Include service charge, utilities, delivery commissions in cost base. Margin ~65%. | ≤13% | 13–15% | >15% |
QSR / Coffee High-volume, high-frequency. Frontage and throughput are critical. Margin ~68%. | ≤12% | 12–15% | >15% |
Pharmacy / Health Repeat-visit category. Access and residential catchment matter. Margin ~30%. | ≤15% | 15–18% | >18% |
Electronics Large units need lower rent/sqm. Sales density is lower. Gross margin ~18%. | ≤10% | 10–12% | >12% |
Grocery / Supermarket High-volume, thin margins. Rent discipline is critical. Gross margin ~22%. | ≤7% | 7–9% | >9% |
Fitness / Gym Large footprints need rent discipline. Membership model. Margin ~45%. | ≤13% | 13–16% | >16% |
Beauty & Cosmetics Repeat customers. Visibility and access matter. Gross margin ~58%. | ≤14% | 14–17% | >17% |
Home / Furniture Large-format. Lower sales density expected. Gross margin ~42%. | ≤8% | 8–10% | >10% |
Jewellery / Watches Very brand-dependent. High security and capex. Gross margin ~35%. | ≤13% | 13–16% | >16% |
Eyewear High ASP, small footprint. Strong sqm productivity. Margin ~60%. | ≤15% | 15–18% | >18% |
Pet Store Destination shopping behaviour. Access matters. Margin ~40%. | ≤15% | 15–18% | >18% |
Entertainment / FEC Capex-heavy; needs longer lease and rent-free support from landlord. Margin ~55%. | ≤12% | 12–15% | >15% |
Other / Services Use general benchmarks as a guide. Gross margin ~40%. | ≤15% | 15–18% | >18% |
Ranges are derived from publicly available UAE retail market research and industry publications (H1 2026). They are indicative of typical Grade A/A+ mall conditions only — individual deals vary by unit size, mall grade, location within mall, brand tier, and negotiation. SiteScore is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorised by any named research firm or mall operator.
Data Sources
SiteScoreAE applies its own proprietary scoring methodology. Benchmarks are informed by publicly available market research, industry publications, government statistics, and internal analytical models. Research reviewed may include publicly available publications from firms such as JLL, CBRE, Savills, Knight Frank, and Cushman & Wakefield, UAE government statistical authorities, and industry publications.
SiteScoreAE is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, partnered with, authorised by, or acting on behalf of any named organisation. SiteScoreAE does not use licensed datasets, direct data feeds, or proprietary access from these organisations. These references are provided solely to explain the categories of publicly available information reviewed during research. No operator-provided, confidential, or internal lease data has been used.
Independent commercial real-estate market research
Used for: Rent ranges, OCR thresholds, mall grades, category productivity benchmarks, charge structures
UAE government and official statistics
Used for: Retail transaction data, market size, and sector activity across the emirates
Industry and trade publications
Used for: Category-level occupancy-cost ranges, market commentary, and deal-trend cross-reference
Internal modelling
Used for: Size-adjustment curves, rent-waterfall components, and validation against known deal ranges
User-provided deal data
Base rent, service charges, projected sales, fit-out capex, and lease terms are entered by the user and are not verified by SiteScore. The quality of the output depends entirely on the accuracy of these inputs.
Known Limitations
We list these not to undermine confidence in the tool, but because a professional who understands the limitations will use it more effectively.
- ⚠
Asking rents, not achieved rents
Benchmarks reflect headline asking rents. Achieved rents after negotiation are lower. This means the tool may flag a deal as 'borderline' that becomes viable after negotiation — factor in your negotiating position.
- ⚠
No rent-free or incentive adjustment
Rent-free periods and landlord fit-out contributions are excluded from base calculations. Model these separately using the payback tool.
- ⚠
Sales projections are unvalidated
Your OCR is only as good as your sales forecast. Conservative sales projections with an 'at-risk' OCR rating is a red flag. Optimistic projections masking a poor deal is a risk.
- ⚠
Grade B/C mall data is interpolated
Many Grade B/C malls have limited publicly disclosed data. Their benchmarks are interpolated from grade-level averages, not primary data. Confidence is rated Medium or Low for these.
- ⚠
No live vacancy or tenant data
Tenant mix and competition scoring is based on general mall-level profiles, not real-time vacancy. A mall's anchor tenant mix may have changed since our last update.
- ⚠
Category boundaries are approximate
A premium skincare brand and a mass-market cosmetics retailer are both 'Beauty' — but their OCR tolerances differ. The model uses category averages; apply judgment for your specific brand tier.
- ⚠
No brand-specific leverage adjustment
A flagship international brand negotiating a Dubai Mall anchor position has fundamentally different leverage than an independent operator. The model does not account for brand power or landlord incentives to attract specific tenants.
Update Cadence
Twice per year (Q1 + Q3)
Aligned with typical market-research reporting cycles
Twice per year
Updated when new leasing schedules or market reports are published
Annually
Major changes (new anchor tenants, extensions, closures) are updated ad hoc
Reviewed annually
Weights are adjusted if market conditions shift materially (e.g., a major e-commerce disruption to footfall)
Last full benchmark review: June 2026
Questions or challenges?
If you believe a benchmark is incorrect, outdated, or missing context for your specific deal, email us. We take data accuracy seriously and respond to all challenges.