How to check a Dubai developer and off-plan project before you pay
Before paying anything off-plan, check the project's progress in the DLD Project Status Enquiry, confirm you are paying the project's escrow account, check the advert permit and the broker's DLD e-card, and make sure the sale is registered in Oqood within 90 days of signing. An off-plan sale made before the project is approved and registered with the DLD is void. We do not rate or rank developers.
Steps
Look up the project
Who: You, with your agent
Documents:
- Land number, project number or project name
The DLD Project Status Enquiry gives an immediate result on the DLD website, the Dubai REST app or WhatsApp, and shows a project's completion percentage and details. Keep a dated screenshot.
Confirm the escrow account
Who: You
Documents:
- Sale and purchase agreement
- Developer's written payment instructions
Under Law No. 8 of 2007, off-plan payments must go into an escrow account in the project's name with a DLD-accredited agent. Ask the developer for the account in writing, check that your agreement names the same account, and confirm with the escrow bank that it is held in the project's name; never pay a personal or sales-company account.
Check the advert
Who: You
Documents:
- Advert permit number or Madmoun QR code
A developer may not advertise off-plan units in local or international media or at exhibitions without written DLD permission, and the DLD's brokerage guide says every property advert needs a Trakheesi permit with its number shown. Check the permit with the DLD's licence and permit validation service or the Madmoun QR code.
Check the broker
Who: You
Documents:
- Broker's DLD e-card
Verify the card in the DLD e-card service and make sure it matches the person you are dealing with. Under the implementing bylaw of Law No. 13 of 2008 (Executive Council Resolution No. 6 of 2010), a broker must pay off-plan sale proceeds into the project escrow account and may not keep them or take commission out of them first.
Register the sale in Oqood
Who: The developer and the DLD
Documents:
- Signed sale and purchase agreement
- Oqood certificate
The agreement must be registered in the interim register within 90 days of signing; ask for the Oqood certificate and keep it.
Look at the developer's record yourself
Who: You
Documents:
- List of the developer's completed projects
Visit completed projects, look up their approved service charges in the DLD Service Charge Index, compare promised and actual handover dates, and read what your agreement says about delay, specification changes and the area tolerance on the unit.
The five checks
| Check | Tool | What you should see |
|---|---|---|
| The project is registered and progressing | DLD Project Status Enquiry | The project, its developer and its completion percentage |
| Your payments go to escrow | Your agreement, the developer's written instructions and the escrow bank | An account in the project's name with an accredited escrow agent |
| The advert is licensed | Licence and permit validation; Madmoun QR code | A valid permit linked to this project |
| The broker is licensed | DLD e-card verification | A valid card matching the person you are dealing with |
| The sale is registered | Oqood certificate | Registration within 90 days of signing |
Sources: DLD service pages; Law No. 8 of 2007; DLD legislation compilation. Data as of .
Deadlines in the law
| Stage | Time |
|---|---|
| Register the sale in Oqood after signing | 90 days |
| A developer can be struck off the register if, without an acceptable reason, it has not started construction this long after permission to sell off-plan | 6 months |
Figures as of ; sources: dubailand.gov.ae, dlp.dubai.gov.ae.
Documents checklist
- DLD Project Status Enquiry screenshot, dated
- Developer's written escrow account details
- Advert permit or Madmoun result
- Broker's e-card result
- Sale and purchase agreement
- Oqood certificate
Common mistakes
- Relying on labels such as 'top developer' instead of checks you can repeat.
- Paying a booking amount before the sale and purchase agreement and escrow details are in writing.
- Accepting a broker's request to pay into their own account.
- Not keeping dated records of what the DLD tools showed.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if an off-plan project is registered in Dubai?
Search the project by land number, project number or name in the DLD Project Status Enquiry, available on the DLD website, the Dubai REST app and WhatsApp. It shows the project's completion percentage and details.
How do I know a developer is licensed in Dubai?
The DLD keeps a register of real estate developers, and Law No. 8 of 2007 bars any developer from the business unless it is entered in that register and licensed. Ask the developer for its registration and check the project in the DLD's tools.
Is an off-plan sale valid before the project is registered?
No: under the implementing bylaw of Law No. 13 of 2008, an off-plan sale made before the project is approved and registered with the DLD is null and void.
How do I verify a property advert in Dubai?
Check its permit number with the DLD's licence and permit validation service, or scan its Madmoun QR code; every property advert needs a Trakheesi permit with the number shown.
Can a broker take my off-plan payment?
No: the broker must deposit off-plan sale proceeds into the project escrow account and may not hold them or take commission out of them first.