Is off-plan property in Dubai safe?

It can be, when the developer and project are registered with the regulator and your payments go into the project's escrow account. It becomes risky when buyers pay personal accounts or skip the checks.

Oqood is the Dubai Land Department's system for registering off-plan sales. The registration secures your contract on record until the title deed is issued at completion.

Where should off-plan payments go?

Only into the escrow account registered for that specific project. Never pay a deposit to an agent's or a developer's personal or general account.

Does Dubai RERA work like Rajasthan RERA?

Not the same. Dubai's regulator is under the Dubai Land Department and has its own laws on escrow and developer registration. Do not assume an Indian RERA registration number means anything in Dubai.

Buying Off-Plan in Dubai: Escrow, Oqood and a Due-Diligence Checklist

Off-plan is where many Indian buyers first enter Dubai, drawn by payment plans and launch prices. It is also where homework matters most, because you are paying for something that does not yet exist. The protections are real, but only if you verify them yourself.

How the Protection Works

Developer and project registration: developers must be registered, and each project is registered with the real estate regulator, which issues a project number.
Escrow accounts: buyer payments for an off-plan project are meant to go into a project-specific escrow account held with an approved bank, released to the developer against construction milestones.
Oqood registration: your sale is registered with the Dubai Land Department, giving you a record of your interest before completion.
Advertising permits: property ads in Dubai carry a permit number that can be checked.

This is not Rajasthan RERA. Dubai has its own regulator and laws. Verify the registration numbers on the Dubai Land Department's official channels, not on the brochure or on the agent's message.

The Pre-Deposit Checklist

Confirm the developer is registered and ask for its registration details in writing.
Confirm the project number and that it is registered, and note the escrow bank and account details.
Verify the agent's broker registration and the advertisement permit number.
Read the Sale and Purchase Agreement fully: price, payment schedule, handover date, delay penalties, snagging, what happens on default.
Compare the price per square foot with recent resales and other launches in the same area.
Ask for the expected service charge per square foot, and what it covers.
Pay only by traceable bank transfer to the escrow account, and keep every receipt.

Looking at a Dubai launch?

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Payment Plans, Handover and Resale

Payment plans usually run through construction, with the balance at handover, and some developers offer post-handover instalments. Treat a low entry price as a loan from you to the developer: you carry delivery risk for years. Check the developer's past handovers against their promised dates. If you may resell before completion, ask what the developer requires, because many demand a portion of the price to be paid and charge an administrative fee for a name transfer.

Red Flags

A request to pay a "booking deposit" to a personal account or in cash.
No project number, or a number that does not match the developer or the area.
Guaranteed returns or buy-back promises with no regulated structure behind them.
Pressure to sign within hours, or documents offered only as screenshots.
An agent who cannot show broker registration.

Costs on Top

Off-plan purchases still attract the 4% DLD fee and registration charges. See the full cost breakdown, and remember Indian residents must follow RBI and tax rules when remitting money, covered in our LRS and tax guide.

General information, not advice. Tax, FEMA/RBI and Dubai rules change often. This article is not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm current rules with your bank, a chartered accountant and, where relevant, the Dubai Land Department before you commit money.

How We Researched This

Checked against the public pages below in October 2026. Several are secondary summaries, so confirm the current rule with the official body, your bank or a qualified adviser before acting.