Location guide
Own property outright in Abu Dhabi, with off-plan projects approved before sale
Every off-plan project needs approval, an escrow account and DARI registration before it can be sold to you. Registration is 2% of the price.
- Your payments
- Escrow per project and phase
- Registration fee
- 2% of the sale price
- Where you can own
- Investment areas, since 2019
- Golden visa (official criteria)
- Off-plan can count once AED 2M paid
- Regulator
- ADREC, since November 2023
Abu Dhabi 01
What you can buy in Abu Dhabi
What the developers on this site have launched here so far. You can still ask about any type.
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Launched here 01 — ApartmentsApartments
AED 1M–3M
Waterfront apartments at Sobha City, Al Bahiya
Request options -
Not launched yet 02 — TownhousesTownhouses
AED 3M–6M
Ask an adviser about townhouse options
Request options -
Launched here 03 — VillasVillas
AED 5M–20M
Estate villas, garden villas and mansions at Sobha City
Request options
Ranges are target total purchase prices, not guaranteed starting prices and not the cash needed at booking. Sobha describes Sobha City as about 38m sq ft, with an initial phase of about 8m sq ft: a plan, not delivered scale. Ask what already operates near your plot.
Matched to your plans 02
Abu Dhabi homes, matched to your plans
Tell us your price range and plans. An adviser comes back with up to three options available now, checked against your requirements.
Get an Expert Consultation- Options inside your price rangeUp to three, and fewer if fewer fit. Never padded to make up the number.
- Every cost and payment stageBooking, instalments, handover and registration fees, set out before you commit.
- Why each could suit youThe reasons it fits, what to weigh, and the developer-stated handover date.
Abu Dhabi 03
Where you can own, and what you get
Law No. (13) of 2019, issued on 16 April 2019, lets non-nationals, both individuals and companies, own and dispose of all principal and collateral real rights over property in Abu Dhabi’s investment areas. Before then, freehold ownership there was limited to UAE and GCC nationals.
Investment areas are fixed by Executive Council decision. Ask the developer to show that your specific plot sits in one, and confirm it before you reserve.
Abu Dhabi 04
How your money is protected
- 01
Checks before any off-plan sale
Law No. (3) of 2015 requires project approval, a deposited development plan, land rights, an opened escrow account and an approved disclosure statement.
- 02
Your payments held in escrow
Each project and phase has its own escrow account. The 2015 text allowed no withdrawals until at least 20% of construction was complete; a reported 2025 change lets ADREC allow earlier withdrawals for qualifying developers who provide bank-backed security.
- 03
Your purchase on the register
An off-plan sale binds no one unless it is recorded in the Initial Real Estate Register, and a developer who registers more than 21 days after the sale pays a late fee. Ask for proof of registration.
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A dedicated regulator
The Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre, launched on 2 November 2023 under the Department of Municipalities and Transport, oversees the sector, and off-plan sales are registered on DARI.
Abu Dhabi 05
Know the full cost before you commit
| Item | Amount on the source page | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Off-plan sale registration (ownership) | 2% of the sale price | 1% for Musataha |
| Registration and e-services charges | AED 50 + AED 400 before VAT | Listed on the DARI off-plan service |
| Who pays sale fees | Split equally between seller and buyer | Unless agreed otherwise, per ADREC |
| Mortgage registration | 0.1% of the loan, with a stated cap | Only if you borrow; ask for the exact cap in writing |
| Agency commission | Agreed with your agency | Ask for it in writing before you commit |
Expert consultation
Find the Abu Dhabi home that fits your plans.
Abu Dhabi 06
Before you pay, ask for the project’s advertisement permit
Abu Dhabi developers may not advertise off-plan sales in local or foreign media, or at exhibitions, without written permission, and the Off-Plan Sale Advertisement Permit goes only to registered projects with an escrow account. Ask to see the permit, which carries a QR code on DARI, before you pay anything.
Abu Dhabi 07
Residence: when an off-plan purchase supports a golden visa application
Off-plan property can count towards Abu Dhabi’s 10-year real-estate golden visa, according to the emirate’s official page, once there is a purchase agreement with an approved developer and at least AED 2 million has been paid to that developer. Mortgages from national banks are allowed, but your own equity must be at least AED 2 million.
Criteria are set by several authorities and change, and the authorities decide every application. Confirm eligibility for your specific purchase, and the permit length, with the issuing authority before you rely on it.
Abu Dhabi 08
Who is building in Abu Dhabi
Fewer developers build here than in Dubai, so check who is behind a project before you look at the brochure.
Launched hereSobha City, Al BahiyaWaterfront apartments, estate villas, garden villas and mansionsLaunched April 2026, its first Abu Dhabi community; no delivery history in the emirate yetView Sobha profile
Reported onlyMarina Bay, Al Reem IslandCompleted apartments (reported)A DAMAC villa community is also reported as planned; ask for its current statusView DAMAC profile
Plans announcedA first Abu Dhabi projectPlanned for 2026Its chairman said in January 2026 that Abu Dhabi is next; a stated intention, not a launchView Binghatti profile
Choose a market 09
Weighing another emirate?
Where you can own, how the sale is registered and what you pay in fees all differ. Each guide sets out what applies, with sources.
Dubai
Buying off-plan in Dubai: where foreigners can own freehold, how escrow and Oqood protect your payments, every DLD cost, and golden visa rules.
Explore Dubai
Ras Al Khaimah
Buying off-plan in Ras Al Khaimah: the seven freehold areas, RAK RERA escrow rules, registration costs, and which developers have launched homes there.
Explore Ras Al KhaimahNot sure which location?
Compare the marketsWhat you can hold us to
Six commitments behind every consultation.
A purchase this size deserves someone who shows you the full picture, including what could go wrong, before you commit a deposit.
How the firm is paid, and why it matters to you-
Every cost before you commit
Total price, registration fees and each payment stage, set out in your own currency before you pay anything.
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Honest about fit
Up to three options, and fewer if fewer fit. If off-plan does not suit your plans, you are told plainly.
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A second opinion on any offer
Bring an offer from a developer or another agent and have its cost, payment plan and contract points checked before you commit.
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Told how the firm is paid
Before you decide on anything, including whether a developer on your shortlist pays the firm.
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Checks before you see a home
Registration, the project escrow account, the developer’s record and a current price, checked before a home reaches you.
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Your time, your privacy
Video, phone, WhatsApp or email in your time zone. Your details are used only to reply, and launch emails only if you ask.
How it works 10
Three steps, no obligation.
No account, no fee, no pressure to proceed. You decide whether to go further.
- 01
Share your requirements
Your contact details, then property type, price range, emirate, objective and timeframe. It takes about two minutes, and no financial documents are needed.
- 02
Review suitable options
Up to three opportunities, each with its costs, payment timings, the reasons it was selected and what to consider. If fewer fit, you get fewer.
- 03
Discuss next steps
Talk to an adviser about the options, what to verify independently and what reserving involves. There is no pressure to proceed.
Questions 11
Answers before you share any details.
If your question is not answered here, an adviser can go through it with you during a consultation.
No. Since Law No. (13) of 2019, non-nationals may own property in investment areas fixed by Executive Council decision. Confirm your plot is inside one.
DARI lists 2% of the sale price for ownership, plus AED 50 registration and AED 400 e-services before VAT. ADREC says sale fees are split equally unless agreed otherwise, so check your sale agreement.
Each project and phase must have its own escrow account before off-plan sales start, and the sale must be recorded on the Initial Real Estate Register. Escrow does not promise completion on time: your sale agreement sets what happens if handover slips, so have a UAE-qualified lawyer read those clauses first.
Much of an off-plan purchase is documents and payments, and a representative can act for you under a power of attorney notarised and legalised in your home country. Ask DARI and the developer which identity documents they accept from buyers without an Emirates ID.
It can count once at least AED 2 million has been paid to an approved developer, according to the official Abu Dhabi page. The authorities decide every application, so confirm eligibility for your purchase with the issuing authority.
Sobha, with Sobha City in Al Bahiya. DAMAC’s Marina Bay tower and a planned DAMAC villa community are reported, and Binghatti has said Abu Dhabi is next. The other developers on this site have no residential launch in Abu Dhabi yet.
Expert consultation
Get a second opinion before you commit.
Share the offer you have. An adviser goes through the total cost, the payment plan and what to check before you pay a booking deposit.
- Every cost and payment stage set out
- Why each option was chosen, and what to weigh
- Free, with no obligation
Thank you. Here is what you shared.
An adviser will review the offer and go through its total cost, payment plan and what to check before you pay.