BUA vs Carpet Area vs Sellable Area: Dubai Apartment Sizes Explained

Table of contents

• The measurements, side by side
• What Dubai's rules and the DLD record say
• Does the balcony count?
• Square feet to square metres
• Gross area vs net area
• Why two 1-bedroom apartments of the same advertised size can feel different
• How to read a floor plan
• The takeaway

BUA, carpet area and sellable area are used differently by developers, brokers and websites, and Dubai has no single standard set of definitions like India's RERA does. The figures that count for your purchase are the ones in your SPA, the approved plans and the DLD records.

BUA, or built-up area, is the total constructed area of a unit, and Bayut's glossary says it includes rooms, walls, staircases, balconies and terraces. Sellable area leaves out common spaces such as lifts, corridors and foyers. Carpet area means the usable floor space, but Dubai has no official definition of it. The Dubai Land Department (DLD) registers net area, so always ask which measurement a listed size refers to.

Two listings, both saying 750 sq ft, can hold apartments of visibly different sizes once you stand inside them. The numbers are rarely dishonest. Listings simply quote different area definitions without saying which one. If you learned real estate terms in India, where carpet area has a legal definition, the confusion doubles, because the same words are used more loosely here. This guide separates the terms, shows what Dubai's rules and the DLD record actually say, and walks through the arithmetic.

The measurements, side by side

What is built-up area (BUA)?

BUA is the most generous number a listing can quote, which is why it is the one listings usually use. By the Bayut definition it takes in the thickness of the walls and the balcony or terrace that belongs to the unit. Two apartments with the same BUA can differ in usable space depending on wall thickness, layout and how much of the total sits outdoors.

What does sellable area mean?

Sellable area is the term often used for the area a unit is priced on, and in the Bayut definition it excludes shared spaces. That is a different thing from BUA, and it does not say whether a balcony is in or out. Check the SPA area schedule and unit plan; do not assume. The definition clause in your Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) is what counts, so read how the SPA describes the area and whether it lists the balcony separately.

What is carpet area, and is it the same as India's RERA carpet area?

India's Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act 2016 defines carpet area in section 2(k) as the net usable floor area of an apartment, excluding external walls, service shafts and the exclusive balcony, verandah or open terrace, but including the internal partition walls (text of section 2(k)). Dubai has no matching definition, so a Dubai listing that says "carpet area" has no legal definition behind it. Never compare an Indian carpet area figure directly with a Dubai one.

What Dubai's rules and the DLD record say

Two primary sources help here. Both are as of October 2026, and the legal text is as published on the Dubai Legislation Portal, so check for later amendments.

• Net area is the registration basis. Article 13 of Executive Council Resolution No. 6 of 2010 says the net area of a unit is used for registration on the Real Property Register, calculated as the DLD determines. Unless agreed otherwise, any area above the net area in the sale agreement is not paid for, and the developer must compensate the buyer if the actual area falls short of the net area by more than 5%.
• The DLD record splits the area into parts. The unit records in the DLD's open real estate data list property size (in square metres), balcony area, common area and actual common area as separate fields. So do not assume the balcony is inside the registered size.

The practical step is to put three documents side by side: the area schedule in your SPA, the approved floor plan, and later your Oqood certificate or title deed. If the figures disagree, ask the developer to explain before you pay the final instalment.

Does the balcony count?

The short answer is that it depends on which figure you are looking at. Ask for the balcony area as its own line, so that you can price the indoor space and the outdoor space separately.

Square feet to square metres

The DLD's data publishes sizes in square metres, while listings often quote square feet. One square metre is 10.7639 square feet, so the conversion is:

• Square metres to square feet: multiply by 10.7639.
• Square feet to square metres: divide by 10.7639.

Figures are rounded to one decimal place, so a document may differ from your own result by a fraction of a unit. Always convert both figures to the same unit before you compare two sizes.

Gross area vs net area

Gross and net describe where the tape measure starts. A gross figure measures to the outside of the walls, so it includes the wall thickness. A net figure measures the space inside, to the inner faces of the walls. The same apartment therefore has a larger gross figure than net figure, and the gap grows with thicker walls, more shafts and bigger balconies. Whichever term a listing uses, ask whether the number is measured to the outside of the walls or the inside, and whether the balcony is included.

Why two 1-bedroom apartments of the same advertised size can feel different

A headline size says nothing about how the space is arranged. These are the usual reasons two plans of equal size feel different:

• Balcony share. A larger balcony means less indoor space for the same headline number.
• Walls and shafts. Thicker walls and service shafts use area that you cannot furnish.
• Corridors. A long hallway inside the unit is area spent on moving between rooms.
• Room shapes. Square rooms are easier to furnish than long, narrow ones of the same area.
• Doors and windows. Door swings, window positions and column positions decide where furniture can go.
• Ceiling height and light. These change how big a room feels without changing its area.

A worked example (illustrative)

Take two 1-bedroom plans that both advertise 750 sq ft and are priced at AED 1,100,000. The numbers are invented to show the method. Plan A has a 90 sq ft balcony and Plan B has a 40 sq ft balcony, and in both cases the 750 sq ft includes the balcony.

On the advertised figure the two plans look identical. On indoor space, Plan B gives you 50 sq ft more for the same price. That comparison is where value hides. If you value a balcony, the balance shifts the other way, which is why the plan helps you decide rather than a single number.

How to read a floor plan

1. Find the area schedule. Look for the line that states internal area, balcony and total, and note which of them the sales price uses.
2. Check the scale and north point. Dimensions on a plan are usually in millimetres or metres. Convert them if you think in feet.
3. Multiply room dimensions. A living room labelled 4.0 m by 5.0 m is 20 sq m, which is 215.3 sq ft (20 x 10.7639).
4. Spot the shafts and columns. Boxed areas marked as ducts, risers or columns cannot be furnished.
5. Walk the route. Trace the path from the entrance to each room, and note how much area is hallway.
6. Check door swings and windows. The arcs show where a door will open into a room, and the windows show where light and furniture can sit.
7. Measure the balcony. Look at its depth as well as its area, because a very shallow balcony is hard to furnish.
8. Compare the plan to the SPA. The area on the plan, in the SPA and later on your Oqood or title deed should agree. If they do not, ask why.

The takeaway

Headline square footage is a starting point, not a verdict. Ask which definition a figure uses, get the balcony as its own line, convert everything to one unit, and compare the price per indoor square foot. For the terms around bedrooms and layouts, our BHK meaning guide explains 1 BHK, 2 BHK and 3 BHK, and our 1 BHK buying guide walks through what to check in a one-bedroom. Whichever developer you buy from, ask for the dimensioned floor plan before you view the unit, not after you buy.