Chic Tower is one of about 60 new-build handovers happening across Business Bay this year. That's a lot of trucks competing for not very many loading docks. Chic specifically sits on the inner canal-side block, which means truck access funnels through Marasi Drive — a service road that takes two 7-tonners at a time, total. Show up at 1pm on a Sunday and you'll watch your crew sit in the cab for an hour while three other moves clear out.
Damac is the developer, which matters because the lift-booking workflow runs through the Damac Tamkeen portal — different system, different rules, less forgiving than Emaar's. Here's what we've learned from running the first 6 Chic Tower moves.
Studio, 1BR, 2BR — Move Profiles
Chic Tower's unit mix skews young-professional and investor-let. Move profiles look like this:
- Studio (450-580 sqft): 8-12 CBM. 3-4 hour total move. AED 1,800-2,600.
- 1BR (700-880 sqft): 14-18 CBM. 5-6 hour move. AED 2,800-3,800.
- 2BR (1,050-1,250 sqft): 20-28 CBM. 6-8 hour move. AED 3,900-5,400.
Approximately 30% of units are expected to be short-term investor lets, which means a chunk of "moves" are actually furnished-package deliveries (whole rooms of sofa-bed-table-chair sets arriving from Pan Emirates or IKEA in one drop). Those have different lift requirements — usually a single 90-minute slot rather than three 2-hour blocks.
Damac Tamkeen Portal: What's Different
The Damac Tamkeen booking system is functional but rigid. Differences from Emaar's portal that bite first-time users:
- 72-hour advance minimum (vs Emaar's 48). Last-minute bookings get rejected.
- No same-day rescheduling. If your truck is delayed, the slot is forfeit and you re-queue.
- Padding deposit AED 500 (vs Emaar's 200), held in escrow until the building manager signs off post-move.
- Lift slots 90 minutes rather than 2 hours, which means more bookings for larger moves.
The 72-hour rule is the one that catches people. If your handover key collection is on Wednesday and you want to move Saturday morning, you need to book the lift by Wednesday morning at latest. Most first-wave residents collect keys, then start thinking about the move — they're already too late for the weekend slot.
Marasi Drive Loading Reality
Marasi Drive runs along the inner canal. Chic Tower's loading bay opens onto it. The road handles two 7-ton trucks side-by-side, no more. Peak congestion: 1pm to 4pm, when morning moves are wrapping up and afternoon moves are arriving simultaneously. Avoid this window if at all possible.
Best windows for clean access:
- 8am-10am: morning crews settling in, less truck traffic
- 10am-12pm: peak workflow window, bay usually full but rotating
- 4pm-6pm: closer to evening, decent availability
The Al Asayel Street main road option is closed to moving trucks at Chic Tower — Damac routes all freight through Marasi Drive. There is no plan B route. If Marasi is jammed when your crew arrives, the truck circles for 20-40 minutes.
Lift Coordination for Chic
Chic Tower has one service lift and four passenger lifts. The service lift is yours during your booked slot. Sharing happens between bookings — if your slot ends at 11am and the next family's starts at 11am, you have 5 minutes of overlap to clear corridor space. Late-running moves are everybody's problem.
For 1BR and 2BR moves, two contiguous 90-minute slots usually finish the lift work. Studios fit in one. Plan crew breaks accordingly. Our apartment movers team typically allocates 1 person to the lift, 2 to the truck, and 1 to in-unit placement for Chic moves.
The First-60-Days Commissioning Issues
Brand new building, expect:
- Water tank pressure inconsistency on floors above 35
- Chiller lag — units running 2-3°C above setpoint for the first 2-3 weeks until the system tunes
- One or two passenger lifts cycling through service resets weekly
- Intercom-to-security gate delays (the building is still pairing units to gate codes)
Document everything for snagging. The general process is in our snagging guide.
Furnished-Package Move-Ins
If you're an investor and the unit is going short-term-let furnished, the "move" is one or two delivery drops from a furniture supplier rather than a household relocation. We coordinate these too. Typical furnished-package install: AED 1,200-2,200 for delivery, lift coordination, and basic in-unit assembly. Flat-pack assembly extra at AED 80-150 per major item.
Where Chic Sits in Business Bay
Chic Tower is canal-side, which adds about 4-6 minutes of walking to the Bay Avenue Metro station versus the towers fronting Al Asayel. It's quieter at night because Marasi Drive isn't a through-route. The view profile is canal on one side, neighbouring tower on the other for most units. For broader Business Bay context — restaurants, supermarkets, school catchments, parking — see the Business Bay moving guide. For more on the high-rise mechanics common to most BB towers, our high-rise moving guide covers crane permits and wind-day rescheduling.
The Cost Stack, Honestly
For a 1BR Chic move from another Dubai address:
| Cost component | Range |
|---|---|
| Mover labour + truck | AED 2,400-3,200 |
| Lift padding deposit | AED 500 (refundable) |
| Packing materials | AED 250-450 |
| Optional unpacking service | AED 600-900 |
| Cash out, day-of | AED 3,750-5,050 |
The deposit returns within 7-14 days post-move if the lift padding survives. It usually does. We supply our own padding to Damac's spec, which has a better damage track record than the building's own pads.
The Move-In Inspection
Damac requires a brief move-in inspection before allowing furniture to enter the unit. The building manager (or designated inspector) walks through with you, checks that the unit is in handover condition (not damaged by previous trades), photographs the entry point, and signs off on the lift padding deposit. Allow 15-30 minutes at the start of your booked slot for this. Crews who skip ahead and start unloading before the inspection get sent back to the lobby.
Pro tip: take your own photos at the same time, time-stamped. If the building's inspection misses a wall scuff or a chipped tile, you'll want your own evidence within the snagging window.
Routing for Sharjah and Northern Origins
If your move origin is Sharjah, Ajman, or northern Dubai, the practical route to Chic Tower goes via Sheikh Zayed Road southbound, exit at Business Bay, then onto Marasi Drive. Avoid Al Khail Road for inter-emirate truck moves to Business Bay — the merging at Sheikh Zayed gets chaotic during peak hours and the alternative service road exit options are limited.
Truck transit time from Sharjah to Chic Tower: 75-110 minutes during morning rush, 50-75 minutes after 10am. Schedule the lift slot start for 10:30am or later if your truck is leaving Sharjah after 7am. Trying to make an 8am Chic slot from a 6am Sharjah departure regularly runs late.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance do I need to book the Chic Tower service lift?
Damac Tamkeen requires a minimum 72 hours advance booking for service lift slots at Chic Tower. Bookings made inside that window are rejected. For weekend slots, we recommend booking 7-10 days ahead during handover phase, when concurrent moves compete for the same windows.
What does a 1BR Chic Tower move cost?
A 1-bedroom Chic Tower move from another Dubai address typically runs AED 2,800 to AED 3,800 including labour, truck, packing materials, and lift coordination. The AED 500 lift padding deposit is additional but refundable. Inter-emirate origins, weekend scheduling, or oversized furniture push the total toward AED 4,500.
Can I move into Chic Tower at night?
No. Chic Tower's service lift bookings run from 8am to 6pm, Sunday to Thursday, with Saturday morning slots until noon. Friday is closed for moves. The Marasi Drive loading restriction also applies during these hours only — outside of service slot windows, security will not permit moving trucks to load or unload.
Is the Chic Tower loading bay shared with residents?
The Marasi Drive loading bay is shared between two simultaneous moves and any short-term resident drop-offs (groceries, food delivery, valet handoffs). Trucks have priority during the booked slot, but if a Talabat scooter or Careem driver blocks the bay, the crew will need to coordinate with security to clear it. Allow buffer time.
Ready to book? Request a Chic Tower quote with your handover date and unit type — we'll handle the Damac portal booking and routing.
