How to Check a Dubai Off Plan Project Before Buying

011. Find the exact project in official records

Ask for the registered project name and number, developer name, unit number and location. Search DLD's Project Status (Mashrooi) by name or number and compare the result with the documents you received. The service displays project status, developer and escrow details where available.

DLD's Mashrooi guide explains how to access the information through Dubai REST. Check the date of the status or inspection and ask the authority to clarify any discrepancy. A completion percentage is a dated project measure, not a promise that your unit will be handed over on a particular day.

The JVC and Arjan area guide helps compare two locations, but it does not verify a specific project's registration.

022. Verify the payment recipient

DLD's project registration service describes registration and opening an escrow account for off-plan sales. DLD also provides a licensed broker search to verify the individual broker. Confirm the account details for the exact project with DLD and the relevant bank through independently verified contact details.

Do not rely solely on a payment instruction forwarded in a message, and ask about any discrepancy before sending funds. Obtain a receipt identifying the project, unit and payer. Review the contractual handover date and payment terms alongside the safeguard provided by escrow.

Verify the broker's current licence and authority to market the project, as well as the developer's details. Ask to see the marketing permit and confirm it using the official channel.

033. Read the contract and registration

Check the purchaser's name, unit number, floor plan, area basis, price, included parking, specification and the payment schedule. Read the clauses on changes, completion, handover, delay, default, cancellation and resale. Ask what the developer must provide and when, and obtain qualified legal advice if a term is unclear.

Confirm how and when the sale will be initially registered and how you will receive evidence. DLD's initial registration platform announcement describes a developer-facing platform for project and transaction registration. Check the current buyer-facing procedure rather than assuming a reservation receipt is a registered interest.

Compare the contract with the brochure and ask for agreed features to be recorded in the binding documents. Keep all versions and correspondence.

044. Test your payment obligations

Imagine an AED 1,000,000 property with a sample schedule of AED 200,000 at booking, AED 400,000 during construction and AED 400,000 at handover. The entire price remains payable under the agreement; fees and other costs are additional. The chart shows the components of that sample plan, not a real offer.

Write the actual instalment dates, registration costs, current housing payments and any financing requirements in one calendar. Test a delay, a lower bank valuation and an interruption to your income. Do not rely on a future sale or rental income to fund an instalment unless you can manage if it does not occur.

The Dubai upfront cost guide explains other costs to quote. Confirm the current charges and the party responsible for each one.

055. Examine the practical delivery risk

Ask for dated construction updates, the contractual handover provisions and the process for notifying buyers of changes. Visit the site where permitted and compare information with official records. Past delivery experience may inform questions but cannot guarantee the result of the present project.

Check likely owner costs after completion, including building service charges, insurance and maintenance. If you intend to let the apartment, examine comparable leases and competing future supply without treating either as a guarantee.

If an essential document cannot be verified, make the uncertainty visible in your decision and seek clarification before paying. The strongest sales incentive cannot replace evidence about the unit and your ability to meet the contract.

06Check the unit's expected operating costs

Ask for an estimate of service charges and the basis used to calculate the unit's share. Confirm whether the figure is approved or preliminary, what common services it includes and when a final budget may be available. An estimate can change before or after completion and should not be presented as a fixed lifetime expense.

If the developer offers furnished units or rental support, read the exact conditions, duration and responsibilities. Compare the offer with independently obtained quotes and recent evidence. A promised incentive should be recorded in the binding documents, and you should understand what happens if its conditions are not met.

07Request project documents

Browse the Aliyas Dubai project collection and ask which specific units are currently available. Contact Aliyas with your budget and intended use to request the project number, plan, contract and payment schedule.

Check the details through DLD and the relevant parties before making a commitment or transferring funds.