This is the whole process, in the order it actually happens, with the fees named at the point you pay them. If you have never bought in the UAE, read it straight through. It takes about eighteen minutes, and the graphics below carry the numbers so you can skim to the part you need.
If you would rather start from what is actually on the market, here are the dubai islands off-plan properties I track, each priced and with a verdict.
- Choose the project then stand on the plot
- Reserve the unit 5 to 10% booking deposit
- Sign the SPA binds the date, the plan and the remedies
- Verify the escrow account before you transfer anything
- Register with the DLD 4% fee, Oqood issued in your name
- Follow the payment plan tied to construction milestones
- Underwrite the delay two quarters beyond the promised date
- Reselling before handover needs developer consent and an NOC
- Handover and keys snag first, final payment after
1. Choose the project, then check the plot
Narrow to two or three before you look at anything in person. Every listing on this site carries the handover date, the payment plan and the size range, and where I have a verdict it is on the card, including the ones I would skip.
Then go and stand on the plot if you possibly can. Renders flatter everything. The difference between genuine row one and “sea view from the eighth floor” is obvious on the ground and invisible on paper, and on this archipelago it is most of the price difference.
A few I would look at first, the ones ranked on this month’s list:
Selling
Ber would buy
AED 2.5M
$680,735
Hado
Apartments- Location
- Shore Island
- Unit sizes
- 769–4,784 sq.ft
- Developer
- Beyond
Selling
Ber would buy
AED 2.1M
$571,818
Flow Residences
Apartments- Location
- Central Island
- Unit sizes
- 844–2,850 sq.ft
- Developer
- Main Realty
Selling
Ber would buy
AED 2.3M
$626,276
DO Hotels and Residences
Apartments- Location
- Central Island
- Unit sizes
- 409–2,062 sq.ft
- Developer
- One International
2. Reserve the unit
Off-plan units are reserved with a booking deposit, usually 5 to 10%. That takes the unit off the market while the paperwork is prepared. You are not committed at this point in any meaningful sense, but you are exposed, so read what you are signing rather than what you were told.
3. Sign the SPA
The Sale and Purchase Agreement is between you and the developer. You do not need to be in Dubai: it can be signed remotely with a power of attorney or notarised copies. Plenty of buyers never set foot on the island before handover.
This is the document that binds the handover date, the payment schedule and what happens if either side misses. It is the one thing in the process worth having read properly by someone who is not being paid by the seller.
4. Verify the escrow account before you transfer anything
Your instalments go into a project escrow account regulated by the DLD, not into the developer’s working capital. That is the protection, and it is real, but it protects against total loss, not against delay.
Ask for the escrow account number and check it against the project. I publish it on the project page wherever a developer has given it to me, which almost no other site does. If a developer will not give you one, that is your answer.
5. Register with the DLD, and what it costs on top
The property is registered and an Oqood, the off-plan title, is issued in your name. The 4% DLD transfer fee applies at this stage, plus about AED 4,200 in admin. Here is the whole stack on a AED 2,000,000 unit.
- DLD transfer fee, 4% AED 80,000
- First year of service charge AED 21,768
- Snagging, utilities, Ejari AED 20,000
- Trustee and admin AED 10,200
All in, about AED 2,131,968, roughly 6.6% above the quoted price. Agency commission is 2% and the developer pays it. It does not come out of your pocket and it does not raise your price.
Run your own unit through the cost and yield calculators rather than trusting a round number.
6. Follow the payment plan
Instalments are tied to construction milestones per the SPA schedule. Set calendar reminders, because a missed instalment is a contractual default, and the remedies in most SPAs favour the developer heavily. The plan you are offered matters more than most buyers realise: the more that is deferred to handover, the less a delay costs you and the more it costs the developer to keep you waiting.
A 50/50 is the developer’s friend. A 30/70, where you defer most of the money to the day you get keys, is yours. On a newer developer with no delivery record, push for the most deferred plan you can get.
7. What happens if the developer delays
Assume some delay. On this archipelago the bridges and the metro are dated 2027 to 2029, and developer handovers slip as a matter of routine rather than exception. With a developer whose record shows a third of completions running late, I underwrite two quarters beyond the published date.
The practical test is simple: if your payment plan or your mortgage offer cannot survive two extra quarters, the project is wrong for you regardless of how good the building is.
8. Reselling before handover
Most buyers never ask about the exit until they need it. You can usually sell before handover, but you will need developer consent and an NOC, both of which carry fees, and many developers require a minimum percentage paid before they will allow it. Ask what that threshold is before you buy, not after.
9. Handover and keys
Snagging inspection first, keys after final payment. Then utilities, Ejari registration, and a property manager if you are letting it out. Budget the first year of service charge at AED 22 to 26 per sq.ft rather than the 16 you may have been quoted verbally. On comparable Dubai waterfront completions the first-year charge came in 18 to 34% above the reservation figure.
Where I would slow you down
Three points. If the escrow account cannot be verified, stop. If the payment plan only works assuming handover lands exactly on the published date, stop. And if your horizon is under four years, this is not your trade, because the infrastructure that closes the discount to the Palm has not landed yet, and until it does you are relying on someone else being more optimistic than you.
Resources
- Cost and yield calculatorsThe true cost to complete and the net yield on any unit
- Price and rent benchmarkDLD medians for Dubai Islands against Palm, Emaar Beachfront and JBR
- Methodology and sourcesExactly how I calculate net yield and true cost
- All the projects, at list priceEvery off-plan launch with price, plan, handover and a verdict
- The developersWho is building here, with their delivery record
- DLD service charge indexVerify any building’s official service charge, on the government portal
The full buying sequence, step by step
Each stage has its own guide. Work through them in order, or jump to the one you need:
- Can a non-resident buy on Dubai Islands? The short answer and the paperwork
- Non-resident mortgages in Dubai: what 50% LTV really means
- The AED 2M Golden Visa, without the marketing
- Service charges on Dubai Islands: why I model AED 24 and not 16
- Payment plans explained: 50/50, 70/30, 80/20 and post-handover
- Short-let vs long-let on a new island: the honest comparison
- Selling off-plan before handover: NOC fees, developer consent, timing
- Opening a UAE bank account as a non-resident owner
- Total cost of purchase: every fee on a AED 2M off-plan unit
Questions people ask
Can a non-resident buy off-plan on Dubai Islands?
Yes. Dubai Islands is a designated freehold zone open to foreign buyers outright, with no residency required and no local partner. You can sign the Sale and Purchase Agreement remotely with a power of attorney, so plenty of buyers never set foot on the island before handover.
What are the fees on top of the price?
Budget about 6.6% above the quoted price. On a AED 2,000,000 unit that is roughly AED 132,000: the 4% DLD transfer fee (AED 80,000), trustee and admin (about AED 10,200), the first year of service charge (about AED 21,768) and snagging, utilities and Ejari (about AED 20,000). Agency commission of 2% is paid by the developer, not you.
Is my money safe when I buy off-plan?
Your instalments go into a project escrow account regulated by the DLD, not the developer's working capital. That protects against total loss, but not against delay. Always verify the escrow account number against the project before you transfer anything, and if a developer will not give you one, walk.
What happens if the developer delays handover?
Assume some delay, because handovers slip here as a matter of routine. I underwrite two quarters beyond the published date, more for a developer with a poor record. The test is simple: if your payment plan or mortgage offer cannot survive two extra quarters, the project is wrong for you regardless of the building.
Can I sell an off-plan unit before handover?
Usually yes, but you will need the developer's consent and an NOC, both of which carry fees, and many developers require a minimum percentage of the price paid before they allow a resale. Ask what that threshold is before you buy, not after.
What deposit do I need to reserve a unit?
Typically a booking deposit of 5 to 10% takes the unit off the market while the paperwork is prepared. You are not fully committed at that point, but you are exposed, so read the reservation form rather than relying on what you were told.