Guide to off-plan property in Dubai and the UAE
Short and practical: how buying off-plan works, what it really costs and how the areas differ.
- All emirates
- The full cost
- Developer checks
How it works
BuyingWhat is off-plan property in DubaiOff-plan means buying an apartment or villa directly from the developer while the project is still being built. Most new homes in Dubai are sold this way.Read 
MoneyThe DLD fee when buying property in DubaiThe DLD fee is the registration fee charged by the Dubai Land Department. It is 4% of the property price and is paid when the sale is registered.Read 
VisasUAE Golden Visa through propertyThe Golden Visa is a long-term UAE residence visa with no local sponsor. You can get it by owning property worth at least AED 2 million. Below are the current 2026 conditions and a step-by-step application guide.Read 
MoneyPayment plans for off-plan property in DubaiOff-plan property in Dubai is usually sold on a developer payment plan, typically interest-free. The schedule of instalments is called the payment plan.Read 
BuyingHow to check a developer in DubaiWhen you buy a home that is still being built, you trust the developer with your money for years ahead. Here is what to check before you book.Read 
BuyingOff-plan vs ready property in DubaiYou can buy a home in Dubai from the developer before completion, or one that is already built. Each option has its own advantages.Read 
MoneyThe costs of buying an apartment in DubaiThe advertised price is not the whole amount. Buying a home in Dubai comes with mandatory fees and recurring charges.Read 
BuyingCan foreigners buy property in Dubai?Yes. Foreign nationals can buy homes in Dubai with full ownership in designated districts known as freehold areas.Read 
MoneyRental yield in Dubai: how to calculate itRental yield shows what share of a home’s price you earn each year by renting it out. Work it out before you buy.Read 
VisasThe 2-year investor visa through Dubai propertyIf you own a completed home in Dubai, it can be the basis for a 2-year UAE residence visa. In April 2026 the Dubai Land Department removed the AED 750,000 minimum property value for sole owners.Read دبيEmiratesDubai: the emirate's history and where to buy propertyIn half a century a pearl-diving settlement on Dubai Creek became one of the world's main business and tourism hubs — and the region's busiest off-plan property market.Read أبوظبيEmiratesAbu Dhabi: the capital's history and where to buy propertyThe largest and wealthiest emirate covers most of the country. Its market is calmer than Dubai's, and buyers favour Saadiyat, Yas and Al Reem islands.Read الشارقةEmiratesSharjah: the UAE's cultural capital and where to buyDubai's neighbour offers more affordable homes, museums and more traditional rules. Many people live in Sharjah and work in Dubai.Read عجمانEmiratesAjman: the smallest emirate and where to buyA compact emirate half an hour from Dubai with some of the lowest prices for seaside homes in the UAE.Read أم القيوينEmiratesUmm Al Quwain: the quiet emirate of lagoons and where to buyThe calmest and least populated emirate, with mangrove lagoons. The market is still forming, and large developers have arrived.Read رأس الخيمةEmiratesRas Al Khaimah: mountains, sea and where to buyThe northernmost emirate, with mountains and beaches, is seeing a surge of buyer interest thanks to the Wynn resort on Al Marjan Island.Read الفجيرةEmiratesFujairah: the Gulf of Oman emirate and where to buyThe only emirate that lies entirely on the east coast, by the Gulf of Oman — mountains, diving and resorts far from city bustle.Read BuyingOff-plan handover delays in Dubai: what the DLD registry showsWe analysed the official Dubai Land Department registry: of 1,569 projects under construction, 412 (26%) are already past their planned completion date. Where it happens most and what it means for buyers.Read MoneyEscrow accounts in Dubai: how off-plan buyers' money is protectedIn Dubai, payments for an apartment under construction do not go to the developer directly: they go into an escrow account at a bank and are released in stages as the building rises. Here is how it works and what to check.Read BuyingHow to choose an off-plan property in Dubai: a 12-point checklistTwelve things to check before booking an apartment in a building under construction in Dubai. Save the list and run every project on your shortlist through it.Read BuyingHow to buy off-plan property in Dubai: every step from booking to keysAn off-plan purchase is not one transaction but a chain of 10 steps spread over 2–4 years. Here is each of them: what you sign, what you pay, what to check and where buyers most often go wrong.Read BuyingHow to buy resale property in Dubai: a step-by-step guideOn the secondary market you buy a finished home from its owner, and the deal takes weeks, not years. Here is every step — from choosing an agent to the new title deed — and every cost on top of the price.Read BuyingFreehold areas in Dubai and the UAE: where foreigners can own propertyA foreigner can own an apartment or villa in the UAE outright only in designated areas — freehold zones. Here are those areas in Dubai and the other emirates, and how to check a specific property.Read VisasUAE retirement visa: how to move to Dubai after 55The UAE issues a dedicated residence visa for retirees: five years, no employer or sponsor, renewable. Here is who qualifies, which financial condition you need to meet and how to apply.Read VisasUAE visa through financial investment: fund, business and bank depositThe Golden Visa can be obtained not only through property but also through financial investment — a deposit in an investment fund or capital in a UAE company. Here are the options, thresholds and documents, and how they differ from a regular bank deposit.Read VisasUAE residency through investment: all the options comparedThe UAE has no single 'investor visa' — there are several programmes with different thresholds and conditions. We put them side by side: how much you need to invest, how long the visa lasts, whether off-plan counts and whether family can be included.Read VisasProperty revaluation for the Golden Visa: if you bought below AED 2 millionFor a Golden Visa through property, what counts is not the price you paid but the property's value in an official valuation on the date you apply. If your home has gone up and is now worth AED 2 million or more, a revaluation can open the way to the visa.Read MoneyUAE mortgages for foreigners: how much you can borrow and howForeigners can take a mortgage from a UAE bank — both residents and people living abroad. Here are the Central Bank limits, the down payment, income requirements, every fee and what is different for off-plan.Read MoneyProperty taxes in the UAE: what an apartment owner paysThe UAE has no annual property tax, and individuals pay no tax on rental income or capital gains. But there are fees — one-off at purchase and regular ones for upkeep. Here are all of them, plus the one people often forget: taxes in the country where you are tax resident.Read 
AreasDubai MarinaDubai Marina is one of Dubai’s best-known residential districts: high-rise towers around a man-made canal with a promenade and yachts, minutes from JBR beach.Read 
AreasBusiness BayBusiness Bay is a central Dubai district along the Dubai Canal, next to Downtown, Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall.Read 
AreasJumeirah Village Circle (JVC)Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC) is a residential community with low- and mid-rise buildings, parks and a wide choice of apartments, townhouses and villas.Read 
AreasDubai Hills EstateDubai Hills Estate is a large residential community with a park, a golf course and its own mall, between Downtown and Dubai Marina.Read 
AreasDubai Creek HarbourDubai Creek Harbour is a new district on the shore of Dubai Creek with a promenade, a marina and views of the Downtown skyline.Read 
AreasPalm JumeirahPalm Jumeirah is a palm-shaped man-made island and one of Dubai’s most recognisable addresses, with beachfront residences, villas and hotels.Read 
AreasDowntown DubaiDowntown Dubai is the city's business and tourist centre around Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and the Dubai Fountain. The district's main developer is Emaar.Read 
AreasMBR City & MeydanMohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City (MBR City) is a large district between Downtown and Ras Al Khor. It includes Meydan, Sobha Hartland, District One and complexes on the Dubai Canal.Read 
AreasDubai SouthDubai South is a large district in the south of Dubai around Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) and Expo City Dubai. DWC is planned to be expanded into the city's main airport.Read 
AreasDubai IslandsDubai Islands (formerly Deira Islands) are five man-made islands off the Deira coast developed by Nakheel. Beach resorts, marinas and waterfront residences are being built here.Read 
AreasArjanArjan is a residential district within Dubailand, next to Dubai Miracle Garden and Dubai Butterfly Garden. It has many new mid-rise buildings with studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments.Read AreasJumeirah Village Triangle (JVT)Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT) is a Nakheel residential community next to JVC. It has more villas and townhouses, and new projects include mid-rise apartment buildings.Read AreasAl FurjanAl Furjan is a Nakheel residential community near Ibn Battuta Mall and Discovery Gardens. With the opening of the Route 2020 metro line the area got its own station.Read AreasDAMAC HillsDAMAC Hills is a gated community by developer DAMAC around the Trump International Golf Club Dubai course. It has villas, townhouses and apartments overlooking the golf course and parks.Read Dubai areas
Master planDubai IslandsFive islands off Deira, the old part of Dubai.Dubai MarinaWaterfront residential towers, mostly apartments.Business BayA mix of office and residential towers.Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC)Apartments, townhouses and villas.Dubai Hills EstateApartments, townhouses and villas.Dubai Creek HarbourWaterfront residential towers.Palm JumeirahBeachfront apartments and villas.Downtown DubaiBurj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Dubai Opera and the fountain within walking distance.MBR City & MeydanA 10–15-minute drive to Downtown.Dubai SouthAl Maktoum airport and Expo City Dubai nearby.ArjanNext to Dubai Miracle Garden and the Butterfly Garden.Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT)Next door to JVC; master developer Nakheel.Al FurjanBetween Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road.DAMAC HillsA community by developer DAMAC.UAE developers
Emaar PropertiesEmaar Properties is one of the UAE’s largest developers, founded in 1997. It built Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall and develops entire districts of Dubai.Read
DAMAC PropertiesDAMAC Properties is a Dubai developer founded in 2002, known for large villa communities and branded residences.Read
NakheelNakheel is the developer that created Palm Jumeirah. It is linked to the Government of Dubai and specialises in large waterfront projects.Read
Sobha RealtySobha Realty is a developer in the upper price segment. It designs and builds its own projects and is known for attention to finish quality.Read
MeraasMeraas is a Dubai developer and part of Dubai Holding, known for districts that combine homes with restaurants, shops and walking areas.Read
BinghattiBinghatti is a Dubai developer you can recognise by its unusual facades. It builds both affordable apartments and branded towers.Read
Danube PropertiesDanube Properties is an affordable-segment developer and part of the Danube Group, known for a payment plan where the buyer pays 1% of the price per month.Read
Aldar PropertiesAldar Properties is Abu Dhabi’s largest developer. It develops Yas Island and Saadiyat Island and has recently started building in Dubai.Read
Imtiaz DevelopmentsImtiaz started in 1993 as a construction company and since 2014 has developed its own residential projects under the Imtiaz brand. Its founder and CEO is Masih Imtiaz.Read
Iman DevelopersIman Developers was founded in 2016 and is registered with the Dubai Land Department. Its founder and CEO is Ismail Marfani.Read
Ellington PropertiesEllington Properties was founded in 2014 by Robert Booth, a former managing director of Emaar. The company positions itself as a design-led developer.Read
Azizi DevelopmentsAzizi Developments was founded in 2007 by Mirwais Azizi and is part of the Azizi Group. It builds large residential communities with flexible payment plans.Read
Samana DevelopersSamana Developers was founded by Imran Farooq. It was among the first in Dubai to make a private balcony pool a standard feature of affordable apartments.Read
Select GroupSelect Group has worked in Dubai since 2002 and specialises in premium residential projects in waterfront locations.Read
OmniyatOmniyat is a private Dubai developer founded in 2005. It specialises in architecturally ambitious ultra-premium projects.Read
Object 1Object One Real Estate Development is registered with the Dubai Land Department and is part of the international TSZ Group. Its managing director is Tatiana Tonu.Read Find your project first.
Describe the apartment or villa you want to buy in your own words — AI matches off-plan real estate projects in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other emirates and shows the analytics: price per m², area trends and rental yield.
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