Dubai Off-Plan Property: How to Verify a Developer Before You Wire Money
Every year, foreign buyers wire hundreds of thousands of dirhams to Dubai developers they have never met, for apartments that do not yet exist. Most of those transactions go smoothly. Some do not. The ones that go wrong tend to follow a pattern: the buyer skipped verification steps that are freely available but not widely advertised.
This guide walks through the exact checks you can run before transferring any money to an off-plan developer in Dubai. Every tool mentioned here is either government-operated or legally mandated.
What "Off-Plan" Actually Means Under Dubai Law
Off-plan property in Dubai refers to any unit sold before construction is complete. The legal framework governing these sales is built on three pillars: Law No. 8 of 2007%20of%202007.html) concerning escrow accounts, Law No. 13 of 2008 establishing the Interim Real Estate Register (Oqood), and the broader Regulation No. 3 of 2006 on developer registration.
Under these statutes, a developer cannot legally advertise, market, or collect payment for an off-plan unit unless three conditions are met: the developer is registered in the DLD Developer Register, the specific project is registered with the Oqood system, and a dedicated escrow account exists for that project at an approved bank.
If any of those three conditions is missing, the transaction is illegal under Dubai law, regardless of how polished the sales brochure looks.
Step 1: Check the DLD Developer Register
The Dubai Land Department maintains a public register of every licensed real estate developer in the emirate. This is your first stop.
Visit the DLD website or open the Dubai REST app. Navigate to the developer search function. Enter the developer's name or trade license number. The register will show you:
- The developer's full legal name and trade license details
- Their RERA registration number
- A list of projects registered under their name
- The status of each project (active, completed, or cancelled)
Under Law No. 9 of 2007, no developer may engage in real estate development business in Dubai unless they appear in this register and hold a valid license from the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) with real estate development explicitly noted on the trade license.
If the developer does not appear in this register, stop. Do not proceed regardless of what the sales agent tells you.
Step 2: Verify the Project Through Oqood
The Oqood system, established under Law No. 13 of 2008, is the DLD's digital platform for registering every off-plan sales contract. Think of it as the interim title deed system. When you buy off-plan, the Oqood certificate is your legal proof of purchase until the building is completed and you receive a full title deed.
Here is why Oqood matters for verification: every individual development project requires its own separate Oqood registration with the DLD. A developer can run multiple projects, but each one must have its own Oqood registration and its own dedicated escrow account.
To verify a project through Oqood:
1. Open the Dubai REST app or visit the DLD portal
2. Search for the project by name or developer
3. Confirm the project appears in the Interim Real Estate Register
4. Check the project status and registration date
Once your purchase contract is registered through Oqood, the unit cannot be double-sold. This is the system's core buyer protection function. If a developer pressures you to sign a contract before Oqood registration is confirmed, that is a red flag.
Step 3: Confirm the Escrow Account
This is the step most buyers skip, and it is the one that matters most.
Law No. 8 of 2007%20of%202007.html) requires every off-plan project in Dubai to have a dedicated escrow account at an approved bank. The law is specific: the account must be opened in the name of the project (not the developer's corporate name), and it must be used exclusively for the construction of that project.
The developer is required to deposit at least 20% of the project's total construction cost upfront, as mandated by Law No. 9 of 2007. Only after this deposit is made can the developer begin collecting payments from buyers.
Here is what the escrow system looks like in practice:
- All buyer payments go into the project escrow account
- The escrow agent (an approved bank) reports all inflows and outflows to RERA
- RERA's technical auditors conduct site inspections to verify construction progress
- Funds are released to the developer only after achieving RERA-approved construction milestones
- After project completion and handover, 5% of total escrow funds are retained for 12 months as a defects guarantee
To verify the escrow account, ask the developer for the escrow account number and the name of the trustee bank. Then contact the bank directly to confirm the account exists and is linked to the specific project you are buying into. You can also verify through the DLD or the Dubai REST app.
Article 16 of Law No. 8 of 2007 imposes penalties of up to AED 100,000 or imprisonment for developers who fail to comply with escrow requirements. If a developer asks you to wire money to any account other than the registered project escrow account, that is not just a red flag. It is potentially criminal.
Step 4: Verify the Sales Agent
Even if the developer checks out, the person selling you the unit might not be who they claim. RERA requires every real estate broker in Dubai to hold a valid broker card (also called a RERA card or BRN, Broker Registration Number).
To verify an agent:
1. Ask for their RERA broker card number
2. Visit the DLD broker verification portal
3. Enter the broker's name or license number
4. Confirm their card is active, not expired or suspended
5. Check that the agency they claim to represent matches the registered agency
RERA processed over 3,800 complaints in 2025 alone. A significant number of those involved unlicensed operators using fake or expired broker credentials. The verification takes two minutes and costs nothing.
Step 5: Track Construction Progress After Purchase
Verification does not end when you wire the money. RERA requires developers to publish regular construction updates, and these are linked to escrow drawdowns.
You can track your project through:
- The Dubai REST app: real-time project status and construction progress
- The DLD website: project registration details and developer compliance status
- Direct contact with the escrow trustee bank: account balance and disbursement history
If construction stalls and the developer cannot meet milestones, RERA has the authority to intervene. This can include appointing a new developer, returning funds to buyers from the escrow account, or pursuing legal action against the original developer.
What to Do If Something Goes Wrong
If you discover that a developer or agent has misrepresented their credentials, or if your money has been directed to a non-escrow account:
1. File a complaint with RERA through the DLD complaint portal
2. File a police report at the nearest police station or through the Dubai Police app
3. Contact the Real Estate Regulatory Agency directly
4. Engage a UAE-licensed lawyer who specializes in real estate disputes
Dubai's legal system takes real estate fraud seriously. UAE Federal Law No. 5 of 1985 (the Civil Transactions Law) provides the foundational legal framework for contract enforcement, while the specific real estate laws referenced above provide additional protections unique to the property sector.
The Verification Checklist
Before you wire any money for off-plan property in Dubai, confirm all of the following:
1. The developer appears in the DLD Developer Register with an active license
2. The specific project is registered in the Oqood system
3. A dedicated project escrow account exists at an approved bank
4. The payment instructions direct funds to that escrow account (not any other account)
5. Your sales agent holds a valid, active RERA broker card
6. The agency the agent represents matches their registered agency in the DLD system
Every one of these checks can be completed online or through the Dubai REST app. They cost nothing and take less than an hour combined.
Dubai has built one of the most transparent property regulatory frameworks in the region. The tools exist. Bektu recommends using them before every transaction, not after something goes wrong.
Sources:
- Law No. 8 of 2007 Concerning Escrow Accounts%20of%202007.html)
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