Ask a Dubai sales agent about the developer and you will hear the word reputable. It is the least useful word in this market. It is not a fact, it cannot be checked, and every agent in the city uses it about every developer they are selling.
Here is the useful version. The Dubai Land Department publishes almost everything you need to assess a developer and a project, it is free, and it takes about twenty minutes. Most buyers never look, because nobody tells them the tools exist.
This article walks through the six checks, what the law actually protects you from, and what you get back if a project is cancelled. We should say plainly that Cresco sells off plan property. We would rather you bought it having checked.
The six checks, in order
One. Is the project on Dubai REST at all
Dubai REST is the Dubai Land Department’s own mobile app, free on iOS and Android. Inside it, the Project Status Enquiry service, often called Mashrooi, lets you search any registered Dubai project by name or project number.
If the project is not there, stop. A project that is not registered with the Dubai Land Department cannot legally be sold to you, and no amount of brochure quality changes that.
If it is there, the record gives you the project number, the registration date, the start date, the expected completion date, the developer’s name and registration status, the management company, and inspection photographs.
Two. The escrow account
The same record shows the project’s escrow account and the bank holding it. This matters more than anything else on the page.
Under Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, money paid by off plan buyers goes into a trust account held by an accredited bank, not into the developer’s general funds. The developer draws against it in stages as construction progresses, under a milestone framework set out in RERA Circular No. 8 of 2017.
Two practical consequences. Your payments should be made to the escrow account, never to the developer directly and never to an agent. And if you are ever asked to pay into any other account, that single request tells you everything you need to know about who you are dealing with.
Three. Completion percentage against the schedule
The project record shows construction completion percentage. On its own that number means little. Put it next to two other dates and it becomes the most informative thing you will find.
Take the start date and the expected completion date from the record. Work out how far through the build period you are today. Then compare that with the reported completion percentage. A project that is 60 per cent through its timeline and 30 per cent built is telling you something the sales office will not.
Developers also publish their own construction updates. Ask for this month’s, not last year’s, and ask for video rather than renders. On our own Blossom 76 listing we publish the current structural progress for exactly this reason.
Four. What the developer has actually finished
This is the check almost nobody does, and it is the simplest. Ask the developer to name buildings they have completed and handed over. Then go and look at one.
A developer with a delivery record will answer immediately and be pleased you asked. A developer without one will change the subject to their vision, their partners, or their consultant. Both answers are useful.
There is nothing wrong with buying from a first project. Some of the best value in Dubai is in early buildings from new developers, because they price to win their first buyers. But you should know that is what you are doing, and price it accordingly, rather than discover it at handover.
Five. The Trakheesi permit on the advertisement
Every property advertisement in Dubai must carry a Trakheesi permit number, issued through the Dubai Land Department’s licensing system. It appears on portal listings, on brokerage websites and in social media advertising.
A missing permit number means one of two things. Either the broker is not licensed to advertise that property, or the project is not properly registered. Neither is a small problem, and a missing permit very often travels with a project that does not appear on Dubai REST either.
Cresco Real Estate is licensed by RERA under ORN 34288 and every listing we publish carries its permit.
Six. Oqood, after you have paid
Once you sign and pay your first instalment, the unit should be registered in your name through Oqood, the Dubai Land Department’s interim registration system for off plan property. It is the pre title deed record that says the unit is yours.
It appears in your own Dubai REST profile. Check it yourself rather than accepting a screenshot from anyone. If weeks pass after your payment and the unit has not appeared, that is a question to ask in writing.
What the law actually protects you from
Dubai has a more developed off plan regulatory framework than most markets, and it is worth knowing which parts of it apply to you.
| Instrument | What it does |
|---|---|
| Law No. 8 of 2007 | Requires off plan buyer funds to be held in an escrow account with an accredited bank rather than by the developer |
| Law No. 13 of 2008 | Regulates real estate projects and gives RERA the authority to cancel a project |
| RERA Circular No. 8 of 2017 | Sets the milestone framework controlling when a developer may draw funds from escrow |
| Decree No. 21 of 2013 | Established the special judicial committee that handles cancelled projects and buyer claims |
The judicial committee established under Decree No. 21 of 2013 handles disputes between developers and buyers on cancelled projects. It can appoint auditors to verify what buyers paid and what sits in escrow, and it can issue orders directly to the escrow trustee. Its decisions are final and are enforced through the Dubai Courts.
What you get back if a project is cancelled
This is the question every off plan buyer eventually asks and almost no brochure answers. The refund depends on how far the project had progressed when it was cancelled.
| Construction progress at cancellation | What the developer may retain | What you should receive |
|---|---|---|
| No work commenced, or the project is officially cancelled | Nothing | All amounts paid |
| Less than 60 per cent complete | Up to 25 per cent of the unit value | The balance |
| Between 60 and 80 per cent complete | Up to 40 per cent of the unit value | The balance |
Refunds are due within one year of the contract being rescinded, or within 60 days of the unit being resold to another buyer, whichever comes first. Funds held in the escrow account are prioritised for buyer refunds when a project is cancelled by a final RERA decision.
The claim process runs through the judicial committee rather than the ordinary courts. You file a grievance, the committee reviews it alongside RERA’s report on the project, and its decision is implemented through the Dubai Courts.
What none of this protects you from
The framework is real and it is better than most markets offer. It is also not a guarantee, and the gaps are the parts worth understanding before you sign.
- Delay is not cancellation. A project that hands over two years late is not a cancelled project and the refund rules above do not apply to it. Your money stays where it is and your plans move.
- Escrow protects the money, not the price. The account makes sure your payments go into the building. It does nothing about what the building is worth when it is finished.
- The bank valuation at handover is a separate risk entirely. Loan to value in Dubai is calculated on the bank’s appraised value rather than your contract price, and mortgages on off plan property are capped at 50 per cent by the Central Bank. We set out what that costs at completion in the off plan mortgage cash gap.
- Nothing protects you from overpaying at launch. Divide the contract price by the size in square feet and put it next to what completed apartments in the same community actually transact at. That single calculation is not in any regulation and it is the one that decides whether you make money.
The twenty minute version
If you do nothing else before you sign, do these six things.
- Find the project on Dubai REST. If it is not there, walk away.
- Note the escrow account and bank. Pay into that account only.
- Compare the completion percentage against how far through the build timeline you are.
- Ask the developer to name a completed building, then go and look at it.
- Check the Trakheesi permit number on the advertisement.
- After you pay, confirm the unit appears under Oqood in your own REST profile.
None of this costs anything. All of it is public. It is the difference between buying a Dubai property and being sold one.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a Dubai developer is registered?
Search the project in the Dubai REST app, the Dubai Land Department’s free official application. The project record shows the developer’s name, registration number and status. A developer selling a project that does not appear in Dubai REST is not legally able to sell it to you.
What is an escrow account in Dubai and how do I verify it?
Under Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, money paid by off plan buyers must be held in a trust account with an accredited bank rather than by the developer, and released in stages as construction progresses. The escrow account and the bank holding it are shown on the project record in Dubai REST. Always pay into that account, never to the developer directly and never to an agent.
What happens to my money if a Dubai off plan project is cancelled?
It depends on how far construction had progressed. Where no work has commenced or the project is officially cancelled, all amounts paid should be returned. Below 60 per cent completion the developer may retain up to 25 per cent of the unit value, and between 60 and 80 per cent completion up to 40 per cent. Claims go to the judicial committee established under Decree No. 21 of 2013, and refunds are due within one year of rescission or 60 days of the unit being resold.
What is a Trakheesi permit and why does it matter?
Trakheesi is the Dubai Land Department’s advertising permit system. Every property advertisement in Dubai must display a permit number. A missing number means either the broker is not licensed to advertise that property or the project is not properly registered, and it frequently accompanies a project that does not appear on Dubai REST.
Is it safe to buy from a developer with no completed projects?
It can be, and some of the best entry prices in Dubai come from first buildings, because new developers price to win early buyers. The risk is not that it is forbidden, it is that you carry delivery risk you may not have priced. Check the escrow registration, check construction progress against the schedule independently, and treat the absence of a delivery record as a reason to negotiate rather than a reason to walk.
Ask us to run the checks with you
We do this on every project we list, including our own. Send us a project you are considering, whether or not we sell it, and we will pull the Dubai REST record, the escrow position and the construction status and tell you what it says. Contact the team, browse our current listings, or read our Jumeirah Village Circle guide for what a community actually costs.
Cresco Real Estate LLC is licensed by RERA under ORN 34288.
Sources
- Dubai Land Department, Real Estate Project Status Enquiry service and the Dubai REST application.
- Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 concerning escrow accounts for real estate development in the Emirate of Dubai.
- Dubai Law No. 13 of 2008 regulating the interim real estate register.
- RERA Circular No. 8 of 2017 on milestone based escrow disbursement.
- Decree No. 21 of 2013 establishing the special judicial committee for cancelled real estate projects, as reported by Al Tamimi and Company.
- Khaleej Times, reporting on Dubai off plan cancellation and refund rules.
Published by Cresco Real Estate LLC on 27 August 2026. This article is general information about publicly available verification tools and is not legal, financial or investment advice. Regulations and refund entitlements depend on the terms of your own contract and on the facts of each project. Take advice from a UAE qualified lawyer before acting on anything here, and confirm current project status directly with the Dubai Land Department.