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Location guide

Own freehold in Dubai, with off-plan payments held in escrow

Buy in a designated freehold area, from abroad if you prefer. Registration is 2% for the buyer, and every off-plan sale is recorded with the Dubai Land Department.

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Your payments
Held in project escrow
Registration fee
2% buyer + 2% seller
Your purchase registered
Within 90 days (Oqood)
Where you can own
Designated freehold areas
Non-resident buyers
Passport accepted for registration
Regulator
DLD and RERA

Dubai 01

What you can buy in Dubai

All three property types have launches from the developers on this site. Pick one to see what matters at that price.

Ranges are target total purchase prices, not guaranteed starting prices and not the cash needed at booking.

Selected opportunities 02

Dubai projects worth a closer look

Compare them like for like: the price where the developer has confirmed it, the payment plan, the handover date and what to weigh.

  • Architectural render Apartment

    Nakheel · Palm Jebel Ali · Dubai

    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.

    Request price list and plan
  • Architectural render Apartment

    Sobha · Sobha Sanctuary · Dubai

    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.

    Request price list and plan
  • Apartment

    Binghatti · Al Jaddaf · Dubai

    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

    BEYOND · The Yards, City of Arabia · Dubai

    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.

    Request price list and plan
  • Architectural render Townhouse

    Nakheel · Palm Jebel Ali · Dubai

    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.

    Request price list and plan
  • Architectural render Apartment

    BEYOND · The Yards, City of Arabia · Dubai

    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.

    Request price list and plan

Dubai 03

Where you can own, and for how long

As a non-UAE national you can own freehold in Dubai, with no time limit, in areas the Ruler designates under Law No. (7) of 2006. In those areas you can also hold usufruct or leasehold for up to 99 years.

The designated areas are listed, with maps, in Regulation No. (3) of 2006 and later resolutions. Confirm that your specific plot sits in one, not just the community name.

Dubai 04

How your money is protected

  1. 01

    Your payments held in escrow

    Law No. (8) of 2007 requires a separate escrow account for each off-plan project, used only to build it; the developer’s creditors cannot attach it. Pay only into that account.

  2. 02

    Your purchase on the official register

    Under Law No. (13) of 2008, a sale of an off-plan unit is void unless entered in the Interim Property Register. DLD’s Oqood service handles this, and contracts must be registered within 90 days.

  3. 03

    A regulator watching the project

    RERA is part of the Dubai Land Department under Law No. (4) of 2019 and regulates escrow accounts, jointly owned property accounts, licensing and property adverts.

  4. 04

    Know the rules on late payment

    The 2008 text let a developer cancel after a DLD notice and keep up to 30% of what was paid. The law was amended in 2020, so ask a lawyer how the current rules apply to your contract.

Dubai 05

Know the full cost before you commit

From Dubai Land Department service pages, accessed 16 September 2026, plus one market source for commission. Your sale agreement decides who actually pays each registration fee.
ItemAmount on the source pageWhen it applies
Oqood (initial sale) registration2% purchaser + 2% sellerOff-plan purchase; contracts must be registered within 90 days of signing
Knowledge and innovation feesAED 10 + AED 10Listed with Oqood registration and with a transfer
Title deed and mapAED 250 + AED 250Transfer of a completed villa or apartment
Registration trusteeAED 4,000 + VATProperties worth AED 500,000 or more
Mortgage registration0.25% of the loan + AED 250 per title deedOnly if you finance the purchase
Agency commissionNormally nil on off-plan; about 2% on resaleMarket custom, not a legal rate
Service chargesApproved fees on the DLD Service Charge IndexOngoing, once you own in a jointly owned property

Dubai 06

Before you pay, ask for the project’s ad permit

Every property advert in Dubai, including online ads, exhibitions and launches, needs a DLD Real Estate Ad Permit issued through Trakheesi. Ask to see it before you pay anything; if an agent cannot show it, pause there.

Expert consultation

Find the Dubai home that fits your plans.

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Dubai 07

Residence: when a Dubai property supports a golden visa application

On DLD’s service page, owning property that cost AED 2 million or more at purchase, in one or several wholly owned properties, can make you eligible to apply for a 10-year renewable residence permit. A mortgaged property can qualify with a bank no-objection letter, you apply from inside the UAE, and the documents include a title deed. DLD lists AED 9,884.75 in fees for the principal applicant.

Because a title deed is on the list, ask whether an off-plan purchase would qualify, and from when, before you rely on it. Confirm the permit length with the issuing authority too. The authorities, not a developer or adviser, decide every application.

Dubai 08

Who is building in Dubai

All eight developers on this site have launched homes in Dubai. See who is behind a community before you look at the brochure.

Examples from developer releases and reputable reports, not a recommendation or a partnership.

Dubai 09

What is there today, and what is still planned

A masterplan shows what a community will become, not what you will find at handover.

Open today

Roads, schools, beaches and transport you can use now. Only these count as existing.

Still planned

Nakheel’s figures for Palm Jebel Ali, including 91 km of beachfront, describe the scheme once complete, not what is there now.

Ask before you buy
  • What already operates near my plot?
  • Which amenities depend on later phases?
  • What is the developer-stated handover date?

Choose a market 10

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.

01 — Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi

Buying off-plan in Abu Dhabi: investment-area ownership, project approval and escrow before sale, DARI registration costs, and golden visa rules.

Explore Abu Dhabi
02 — Ras Al Khaimah

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 Khaimah

Not sure which location?

Compare the markets

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

  1. Every cost before you commit

    Total price, registration fees and each payment stage, set out in your own currency before you pay anything.

  2. Honest about fit

    Up to three options, and fewer if fewer fit. If off-plan does not suit your plans, you are told plainly.

  3. 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.

  4. Told how the firm is paid

    Before you decide on anything, including whether a developer on your shortlist pays the firm.

  5. 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.

  6. 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 11

Three steps, no obligation.

No account, no fee, no pressure to proceed. You decide whether to go further.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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 12

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. Non-UAE nationals may own freehold only in areas designated by the Ruler, listed in Regulation No. (3) of 2006 and later resolutions. Check the specific plot, not just the community name.

Dubai law requires a separate escrow account for each off-plan project, used only for its construction, and the sale must be registered on the Interim Property Register through Oqood. Payments made outside the project escrow account may not have the same protection.

DLD’s Oqood page lists 2% for the purchaser and 2% for the seller, plus AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees. Your sale agreement decides who pays in practice.

Usually, yes. DLD accepts a valid passport from non-resident buyers for sale registration, and a representative can act for you at steps such as handover under a power of attorney notarised and legalised in your home country. Consultations take place by video or phone.

Completion dates are developer-stated, and your sale agreement sets what happens if handover slips. Have a UAE-qualified lawyer read the completion, delay and termination clauses before you pay a booking amount. Meanwhile your payments stay in the project escrow account, used only to build that project.

Not automatically. DLD’s threshold is property that cost AED 2 million or more, and its document list includes a title deed, so ask whether an off-plan purchase would qualify, and when. The authorities decide each application.

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

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