What has to happen before a project can launch
A developer cannot legally sell off-plan until the project is registered with the Dubai Land Department (DLD) and has an escrow account. According to DLD, a new project can only be launched or announced after all registration procedures are complete and the developer has obtained an accreditation certificate, which is issued through Oqood.
- Escrow request: under Law No. 8 of 2007, a developer that wants to sell off-plan must apply to DLD to open an escrow account. The application includes documents such as the title deed of the land and the approved initial designs.
- Advertising approval: the same law requires written authorisation from DLD before off-plan sales are advertised.
- Project registration: DLD's project registration service requires the land to be in a freehold or long-term lease area, with an ownership deed. It also requires a 30% guarantee, met by completing 30% of construction, a bank guarantee or a cash deposit.
DLD's investor guide adds that an off-plan sale made before the required approvals and project registration is null and void. So your first check on any new launch is whether the project appears in DLD's records.
How to check a new launch before you reserve
These five checks cover most of the risk when you buy at launch:
- Search DLD's records. Use DLD's Project Status Enquiry by project name, project number or land number.
- Get the escrow account number. You can see it in the Dubai REST app, and it should appear on your payment instructions. Only make payments to the project's escrow account.
- Ask what any booking payment secures. If a launch asks for money before the SPA is signed, get written answers on three points: whether it is refundable, how it counts towards the price, and when you will receive the SPA.
- Read the SPA in full. Note the handover date and any grace period, the payment schedule, the specifications, and how the contract deals with a difference in the final floor area.
- Confirm the registration. Your sale should be recorded on DLD's Interim Register (Oqood). DLD charges a 4% registration fee, which DLD has said the buyer pays to the developer.
Our Oqood guide explains what your registration certificate should show.
How to compare new launches
Compare new launches on the things that will still matter at handover, not on the excitement of launch day.
- Location and master community: look at what is already built nearby and what is only planned. Our areas guide is a good starting point.
- Developer track record: check completed projects, build quality and whether past projects were delivered on time. See how to judge a Dubai developer.
- Payment plan: see how much is due before handover, how much at handover and whether anything is due afterwards. You can model this in the payment calculator.
- Handover date: a project that has only just launched will usually hand over later than one already well into construction. If timing matters, compare projects handing over in 2027 or 2028.
- Running costs: a building's amenities drive its service charges once it is complete. DLD's Service Charge Index, also in the Dubai REST app, shows the RERA-approved rates for existing projects. Use it to compare.
Priority access for first-time buyers
If you don't own a home in Dubai yet, the First-Time Home Buyer Programme may give you priority access to new launches. DLD and Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism launched it on 2 July 2025.
- Who can apply: people aged 18 or over who live in the UAE and don't currently own freehold residential property in Dubai. DLD says the programme is open to all nationalities and income levels.
- Off-plan benefits: eligible buyers get priority access to units in new off-plan launches from participating developers. They also get enhanced commercial terms, including preferential pricing on units up to AED 5 million.
- Financing: at launch, five banks were named as offering mortgage products designed for eligible buyers: Commercial Bank of Dubai, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD, Emirates Islamic and Mashreq.
Applicants are registered with DLD together with their property preferences. Terms can change, so check the current details in DLD's announcement before you count on the benefit. Also ask whether the launch you are interested in takes part.
