01 // Strategic Acquisitions

Dubai off-plan: new projects in Dubai, entered at the right phase

How Natalie selects and secures off-plan projects in Dubai, from launch and payment plan to escrow, Oqood registration and handover.

Dubai off-plan property means buying a new apartment or villa from a developer before it is built, paying in stages while construction progresses. New projects in Dubai launch every month across master communities, and the decision is rarely only about the building. It is about which phase you enter, which payment plan you sign and what the contract says if plans change. Natalie Burešová advises international investors, relocating families and family offices on exactly those choices.

Off-plan in Dubai is regulated, and the protections only work if they are checked. Buyer payments must go into a project escrow account under Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, and the sale must be registered on the Dubai Land Department's interim register (Oqood) within 90 days of signing. Natalie checks both before a client commits, alongside the developer's terms in the sale and purchase agreement (SPA): the payment schedule, the completion date, and the conditions for resale or default.

As a RERA-registered advisor with The Oppenheim Group in Bluewaters, Natalie works with a network of more than 90 UAE developers, with a focus on Dubai Islands, Dubai South and Expo City. That breadth lets her compare launches across developers rather than present a single project, and come back with what fits a client's budget and timeline. She advises in Czech, English and Slovak, and stays involved from reservation through to handover.

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Off-plan projects in Dubai: what you are actually buying

An off-plan purchase is a contract with a developer, not yet a finished home. The SPA sets the unit, the price, the payment schedule, the expected completion date and the conditions for resale or default. The regulator is the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), part of the Dubai Land Department (DLD), and the main protections come from the escrow law and the interim register.

Off-plan is a large part of the market. Dubai Land Department data for the first half of 2026 recorded 58,840 off-plan sales worth AED 139.75 billion, against 27,160 ready-property sales worth AED 146.69 billion.

If RERA revokes a project, the developer must return all payments received from purchasers under the escrow law's procedure.
Registration on Oqood records your purchase with DLD; Natalie confirms it is completed rather than relying on the contract alone.
Delivery dates can slip, so the project's status with DLD is worth checking before each payment, not only at signing.

Payment plans, including post-handover payment plans in Dubai

Each developer sets its own payment plan. A common structure is a booking deposit, installments linked to construction progress and a balance on handover, and some developers offer a post-handover payment plan that spreads part of the price beyond completion. The percentages vary by project and are fixed in the SPA, so two projects with similar prices can demand very different amounts of cash at different times.

Natalie reads the plan against the client's own timeline: when capital is available, whether the balance at handover will be paid in cash or financed, and how long the investor is prepared to wait for keys or rent. A balance that relies on a mortgage needs particular care, because UAE Central Bank rules cap loans on property bought off plan at 50% of value, and a bank's valuation at completion may differ from the contract price.

Choosing among the best off-plan projects in Dubai

There is no single list of the best off-plan projects in Dubai. The right one is the project whose location, developer, phase, payment plan and contract terms match the buyer's objective. Natalie's focus areas each have a different story:

Dubai Islands: Nakheel's five-island, 17 sq km waterfront masterplan off Deira, formerly Deira Islands, relaunched in 2022.
Dubai South: a 145 sq km master development around Al Maktoum International Airport, where designs for a new AED 128 billion passenger terminal were approved in April 2024.
Expo City Dubai: the former Expo 2020 site, being developed as a master-planned city with residential districts.
Beyond these, Natalie compares launches in Mohammed Bin Rashid City, Dubai Creek Harbour, Business Bay and Jumeirah Village Circle when they suit the brief better.

Timing the phase: what changes as a project is built

The phase you enter changes more than the price. Under Article 11 of Law No. 13 of 2008, if a buyer defaults and a 30-day DLD notice expires, the developer may terminate and retain up to 25% of the unit value where construction has started but is below 60%, or up to 40% where the project is at least 60% complete. Committing to a payment schedule you can meet matters more the further a project has progressed.

Exit terms also depend on the stage. Selling before completion is an Oqood-to-Oqood transfer that needs a developer No Objection Certificate, often only after a minimum share of the price has been paid as set in the SPA. The developer may charge an admin or transfer fee, and the 4% DLD fee applies again on the resale price.

How Natalie handles an off-plan acquisition

Brief: objective (capital growth, a future home, residency, or a mix), budget, cash timeline and preferred areas.
Shortlist: comparable new projects in Dubai from her developer network, with payment plans and expected completion dates side by side.
Checks: developer, escrow account, DLD project status and the SPA's default, resale and handover clauses.
Reservation and SPA: securing the unit, signing, and confirming Oqood registration within 90 days.
Through the build: tracking payment dates and project progress until handover, then coordinating the next stage with partner specialists where needed.

Dubai off-plan projects: questions buyers ask

Is my money safe when I buy Dubai off-plan?

Developers must pay buyer money into a project-specific escrow account under Law No. 8 of 2007, and if RERA revokes a project the developer must return payments. The sale must also be registered on DLD's Oqood interim register within 90 days of signing.

What is a post-handover payment plan in Dubai?

It is a developer payment plan in which part of the price is paid in installments after completion rather than all on handover. Not every developer offers one, and the terms are set in each project's SPA.

Can I get a mortgage on an off-plan project?

Yes, but UAE Central Bank rules cap loan-to-value on property bought off plan at 50%, regardless of the buyer's status or the property's value. Natalie arranges financing through banking partners where it is needed.

Can I sell an off-plan property before handover?

Usually, as an Oqood-to-Oqood transfer with a developer No Objection Certificate. Developers commonly require a minimum share of the price to be paid first, may charge a fee, and the 4% DLD fee applies again on the resale price.

Does an off-plan purchase qualify for the Golden Visa?

Off-plan units totaling at least AED 2 million qualify for 10-year Golden residence under ICP rules, provided they are bought from an approved local developer.

What happens if I miss an off-plan payment?

After a 30-day DLD notice the developer may terminate and retain up to 25% of the unit value if construction has started but is below 60%, or up to 40% if the project is at least 60% complete.

Related guides

Sources

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Checked October 2026.

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