Comparison
Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah: which suits your purchase
Dubai suits buyers who want the widest choice of property types and developers and a long record of completed buildings to check: all eight covered developers have launched homes there.
- Dubai sale registration
- 2% seller + 2% buyer
- RAK sale registration
- 2% seller + 2% buyer
- RAK freehold areas named
- Seven, on RAK Municipality card
- RAK escrow retention
- 5% for one year (reported)
Selected opportunities 01
Off-plan projects available now
Compare them like for like: the price where the developer has confirmed it, the payment plan, the handover date and what to weigh.
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Architectural render Apartment
Palm Central Private Residences
1–5 bedrooms
Price on requestCurrent price being re-confirmed- Payment plan
- Schedule on request
- Handover
- Not yet stated
Why selectedBeachfront apartments and penthouses in three buildings at the centre of Palm Jebel Ali, between Fronds M and N, with direct beach access.
ConsiderPalm Jebel Ali is still being developed, so check which roads, schools and shops will be open when you move in.
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Architectural render Apartment
The Woods Abode
1–2 bedrooms
Price on requestCurrent price being re-confirmed- Payment plan
- Schedule on request
- Handover
- Not yet stated
Why selectedApartments facing parks at the front and rear, in a masterplan where about half the land is open and green space.
ConsiderSobha Sanctuary is planned for around 20,000 families, so nearby phases may still be under construction after handover.
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Apartment
Binghatti Starfall
Studio–2 bedrooms
From AED 759,999Indicative developer price- Payment plan
- Schedule on request
- Handover
- Not yet stated
Why selectedNear Al Jaddaf Metro station on the Green Line, with an observatory deck and telescopes for residents on the amenity podium.
ConsiderThe Etihad Rail stop planned for Al Jaddaf is a future project, so do not rely on it when you decide.
Last checked 16 Sep 2026 Request price list and plan -
Architectural render Apartment
Arancia Yards 2
1–3 bedrooms
Price on requestCurrent price being re-confirmed- Payment plan
- Schedule on request
- Handover
- Not yet stated
Why selectedFour low-rise buildings around a sunken garden, with 4-metre living-room ceilings in select ground-floor homes.
ConsiderIt sits beside the first Arancia Yards phase, so compare prices and payment plans for both before choosing.
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Architectural render Townhouse
Palm Central Townhouses
4 bedrooms
Price on requestCurrent price being re-confirmed- Payment plan
- Schedule on request
- Handover
- Not yet stated
Why selectedFour-bedroom townhouses on the ground floor with private garages, opening onto the landscaped deck and the beach.
ConsiderYou share facilities and service charges with a 212-home development, so ask for the estimated service charge.
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Architectural render Apartment
Arancia Yards
1–3 bedrooms
Price on requestCurrent price being re-confirmed- Payment plan
- Schedule on request
- Handover
- Not yet stated
Why selectedLow-rise homes with 3.1-metre ceilings and private terraces, in the first phase of a masterplan that keeps over 70% of its land open-air.
ConsiderThe school, clinic and mosque are part of the masterplan, so check which will be open by handover.
Dubai vs Ras Al Khaimah 02
Which emirate suits which buyer
The widest choice of property types and developers, from apartments to villas in master communities
A home in a named freehold area such as Al Hamra Village or Al Marjan Island, in a smaller market
All eight
Three, all apartment-led: Ellington, plus BEYOND and DAMAC (reported)
More completed buildings and a longer public record of handovers
Fewer; most launches by the covered developers are recent
Checkable on the public Service Charge Index
Ask the developer and RAK RERA for an estimate
Options in Dubai by budget and property type
Options in the RAK freehold area you have in mind
Dubai vs Ras Al Khaimah 03
Ownership, registration, escrow and fees side by side
Freehold in areas designated by the Ruler, under Law No. (7) of 2006 and Regulation No. (3) of 2006
Freehold areas named by RAK Municipality: Al Hamra Village, Mina Al Arab, Al Marjan Island, RAK Central, Julphar Towers, Al Maareedh and Beach District
Dubai Land Department, with RERA as part of DLD
RAK Municipality, with its Real Estate Regulatory Administration (RAK RERA)
Interim Property Register through Oqood; contracts registered within 90 days of signing
Property register under Law No. (11) of 2021; ask RAK Municipality whether an off-plan registration fee applies
Separate account per off-plan project, used only to build it, under Law No. (8) of 2007
Account per project with a RERA-registered trustee and 5% retained for a year after completion, under Decree No. 12 of 2023 (reported)
2% seller + 2% buyer, plus AED 250 title deed and other fixed charges
2% seller + 2% buyer of market value, plus AED 200 plan and AED 200 title deed
DLD Real Estate Ad Permit issued through Trakheesi
Written permission from RAK RERA; an Off Plan Sale Permit before marketing (reported)
Public Service Charge Index on DLD, Mollak and Dubai REST
Ask the developer and RAK RERA for the service charge estimate
Expert consultation
Find the UAE home that fits your plans.
Dubai vs Ras Al Khaimah 04
Where each of the eight developers has launched homes
Communities including Sobha Hartland and Sobha Reserve
A manufacturing facility in Al Hamra; no residential project
Master communities including DAMAC Hills and DAMAC Lagoons
Shoreline by DAMAC on Al Marjan Island (reported)
Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali and Dubai Islands
No launched homes
Projects across Dubai, including Binghatti City
No launched homes
Projects concentrated on Dubai Islands
No launched homes
Projects including Sensia in Dubai Maritime City
EVERMORE masterplan on Marjan Beach (reported)
Projects including Ellington House in Dubai Hills Estate
Soto Grande in Al Hamra and Playa Del Sol on Al Marjan Island
City Walk, La Mer, Jumeira Bay and Dubai Design District
No residential project
Dubai vs Ras Al Khaimah 05
Before you reserve in either emirate
The plot is in a freehold area
Check the specific plot, not just the community name, against the emirate's designated or named areas.
The project has an escrow account and permit
Ask for the escrow account details and the advertising permit: DLD through Trakheesi in Dubai, RAK RERA written permission in Ras Al Khaimah.
The SPA suits you
Read the completion, delay and default clauses, and the fee clause that decides who pays each registration share.
What 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 06
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 07
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. RAK Municipality's sale contract service card says non-Emirati customers may own property in freehold areas, and names seven: Al Hamra Village, Mina Al Arab, Al Marjan Island, RAK Central, Julphar Towers, Al Maareedh and Beach District.
The headline percentages are the same: 2% from the seller and 2% from the buyer in both emirates on the official pages. The fixed charges differ slightly. What you pay depends on your SPA, so compare the fee clauses.
RAK Municipality says RAK RERA runs escrow oversight and the trustee bank releases money only on RERA verification. A law firm reports that a 2023 decree requires a project escrow account and a retention after completion. Escrow does not guarantee completion on time.
BEYOND, DAMAC and Ellington have launched homes there, all apartment-led. Sobha has a manufacturing facility in Al Hamra but no residential project, and Nakheel, Binghatti, Imtiaz and Meraas have no launched RAK homes.
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.