Buying off-plan in Dubai: what to check

Step 1: Who is selling: the company behind the project

Ask for the developer’s full legal name and registration number, not only the brand, and look the company up in the official register. The company that signs your contract should be the one that holds the land or the approvals.

What the rules and registers say

• A developer may not start a project or sell units off-plan before taking possession of the land and getting the required approvals.Dubai Law No. 13 of 2008 (Interim Property Register), Articles 3 and 4 (read 3 November 2026) · our law note

In our data

118 of 170 projects we track in Dubai name the developer by its legal company.

Examples

• Address Residences Dubai Creek Harbour: developer named as Dubai Creek Harbour L.L.C
• Club Drive: developer named as Dubai Hills Estate L.L.C
• Montiva by Vida: developer named as Dubai Creek Harbour L.L.C

Step 2: The land and what you will own

Find out exactly what you are buying: freehold, leasehold or a right of use, who holds the title today and what charges sit on it. Ask for the official registry extract, not a copy prepared by the seller.

In our data

27 of 170 projects we track in Dubai publish an address or location precise enough for a map pin.

Step 3: Permits and approvals

Ask for the permit number and date and confirm them with the authority that issued them. A company licence or a sales registration is not a building permit.

What the rules and registers say

• Search the project in the Dubai Land Department’s Project Status Enquiry (website or Dubai REST app): it shows whether the project is registered and the completion percentage held by the regulator.Dubai Land Department: Project Status Enquiry (read 13 November 2026)
• Off-plan units may not be advertised or promoted at exhibitions without written authorisation from the Land Department.Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 (escrow), Articles 5, 6, 7, 9, 14 and 15 (read 3 November 2026) · our law note

In our data

149 of 170 projects we track in Dubai publish a permit or licence number.

Examples

• Address Residences Dubai Creek Harbour: permit or licence number 71646300344 published
• Club Drive: permit or licence number 1029097304 published
• Montiva by Vida: permit or licence number 0767549096 published

Step 4: Where your money goes

Before each payment, know which account it goes to and what protects it if the project stops. Pay only into the account named in your contract, never into a personal account or a broker’s.

What the rules and registers say

• Each off-plan project must have its own escrow account, used only to build that project and out of reach of the developer’s creditors. Pay only into the escrow account named in your contract and registered for the project.Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 (escrow), Articles 5, 6, 7, 9, 14 and 15 (read 3 November 2026) · our law note
• When the completion certificate is issued, 5% of the escrow is kept back until one year after the units are registered to buyers; if the project is not completed, the escrow agent must act to complete it or refund buyers.Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 (escrow), Articles 5, 6, 7, 9, 14 and 15 (read 3 November 2026) · our law note

In our data

147 of 170 projects we track in Dubai state how buyer payments are protected (escrow, bank guarantee or insurance).

Examples

• Address Residences Dubai Creek Harbour: deposit protection stated in the sources we read
• Club Drive: deposit protection stated in the sources we read
• Montiva by Vida: deposit protection stated in the sources we read

Step 5: Recording your purchase and the contract

Check how your purchase is recorded before completion and what the contract says about delays, changes and refunds. Have an independent local lawyer or notary read it before you sign.

What the rules and registers say

• Every off-plan sale must be entered in the Interim Property Register (Oqood), or it is void. Ask for the Oqood certificate after you sign and check it in DLD services.Dubai Law No. 13 of 2008 (Interim Property Register), Articles 3 and 4 (read 3 November 2026) · our law note · Dubai Land Department e-services (read 13 November 2026)

Step 6: Handover dates and progress on site

Compare the handover date you are promised with the record: earlier dates for this project and how the developer’s other projects went. Then check progress on site before each staged payment.

What the rules and registers say

• Search the project in the Dubai Land Department’s Project Status Enquiry (website or Dubai REST app): it shows whether the project is registered and the completion percentage held by the regulator.Dubai Land Department: Project Status Enquiry (read 13 November 2026)

In our data

7 of 170 projects we track in Dubai have a handover date on record that has passed; 4 had the date moved later.

Examples

• Aykon City 3: handover date on record has passed; months since: 50
• Azizi Grand: handover date on record has passed; months since: 23
• Karl Lagerfeld Villas by Taraf: handover date moved later; months added: 6
• Address Residences Dubai Creek Harbour: handover date on record Q1 2029, no change so far