[Updated Oct 2020] A guide to serviced offices and office space for rent in Kuala Lumpur as well as general information that may be useful if you are thinking of renting office space in the city.
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History & Geography
Kuala Lumpur is one of the largest and most influential capital cities in Asia, as well as being among the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the world. Malaysia’s capital is located in the huge Klang Valley to the south-east of the country, flanked by the Titiwangsa Mountains in the east and the Strait of Malaca to the west. Kuala Lumpur is a fairly young city, starting life as a trading post in 1850, dealing with the commerce arising from the local tin mines in the area. In its early incarnation, Kuala Lumpur was a lawless town given to the frequent violent conflict between tin prospectors. Eventually the British, who ruled Malaya at that time, appointed a Chinese headman to instil the rule of law over the unruly town. By the 1870s Kuala Lumpur had expanded significantly and was a booming tin trading town. In 1881 much of the town was destroyed by a flood, after which Frank Swettenham, a British resident, initiated the building of houses built of brick, rather than the traditional wood and thatching. During the end of the 19th century, the town was further developed, gaining its own rail line as well as plumbing. In 1896 Kuala Lumpur was chosen to be the capital of the new Federated Malay States. Kuala Lumpur was captured by the Japanese in WWII and occupied until the end of the war in 1945. Afterwards Kuala Lumpur continued to grow and prosper. When Malaysia was formed in 1963 Kuala Lumpur remained the capital. In 1969 Kuala Lumpur was hit by race riots between the ethnic Malay and the Chinese residents, which led to major economic reforms of the city. In 1972 Kuala Lumpur achieved city status and today has a population of over seven million. Kuala Lumpur is today rated a global city and is the cultural and economic centre of Malaysia.
Economy
Kuala Lumpur and the sprawling suburbs surrounding it is the economic hub of Malaysia and one of the most economically dynamic cities in Asia. Kuala Lumpur has been dubbed an alpha world city, meaning that it is considered an important part of the global economy and has a concrete effect on global networks. The city benefits from a highly advanced infrastructure featuring a large port and airport and has a working population of approximately 900,000. Currently, Kuala Lumpur’s GDP is RM 73,536 million and has an annual growth rate of about 5.9 percent. The city has a very strong and diversified service sector, made up of financial services, wholesale and retail, hospitality, retail, communication, government services, storage and communication. A very large number of foreign banks and insurance companies have operations in the city, and it is rapidly becoming the world’s main hub of Islamic banking. Education and health services are also major industries in Kuala Lumpur and there is a range of public and private health facilities in the city which offer highly specialised surgery and treatment to both locals and tourists.
Tourism & Culture
Kuala Lumpur has a thriving tourism industry and because of its strength in the service industry has everything in place to cater for business visitors as well. Currently, Kuala Lumpur is the sixth most visited city in the world, seeing over nine million tourists every year. Among the sites and attractions most popular with tourists in Kuala Lumpur are The House of Parliament, the National Palace, Kuala Lumpur Tower, the National Museum, and of course the famous Petronas Towers, the tallest twin structures in the world. Many tourists also visit the famous Batu caves and the Sri Mahamariamman temple. Jamek Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in the city is also a popular landmark and is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak River. Recently the city has become a popular destination to host meetings, conferences, trade fairs and exhibitions. Many tourists and visitors like the city for its relatively low costs and of late there has been a significant rise in the number of budget hotels in the city. Kuala Lumpur also has a thriving nightlife centred around the Golden Triangle area of the city and Ampang Road. Among the most popular bars and clubs are the Hakka Republic, Rum Jungle, Thai Club, Zouk, Nuovo and the Beach Club.
Transportation
The city is served by Kuala Lumpur International Airport as well as Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport. The former handles most international passenger traffic and is located in the Sepang district about 31 miles from the city itself. Kuala Lumpur itself is served by buses, rail and taxis as its main form of public transport. The rail portion covers light rail, monorail, commuter rail and rapid transit. However many residents of the city prefer to drive and use of public transport is only at about 16 percent, despite government initiatives.
Office space to rent in Kuala Lumpur
Due to its popularity with international companies and the dominance of the service sector, demand for office space in Kuala Lumpur is generally fairly high and the city has a thriving office market. Even in the face of the recent economic slowdown demand has remained steady, much of which is due to the government’s efforts to boost the financial services sector in the city. Currently, the average prime office rent is at RM 6.25 per square foot per month. It is expected these may drop slightly however as 2013 is expected to see a glut of new supply hit the market.
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