Dubai
Check the broker and the advert
Every licensed broker in Dubai has a broker card, and every property advert must carry a permit QR code. You can verify both in the Dubai Land Department's Dubai REST app.
Markets · UTC+4
Dubai
A fast-moving market with many new developments, off-plan payment plans and freehold ownership for foreign buyers in designated areas.
Dubai
What to know before you buy
- Foreign buyers can own property outright (freehold) in designated areas.
- Off-plan payments go into a project escrow account overseen by the Dubai Land Department.
- Every transfer is registered with the Dubai Land Department, which charges a registration fee of 4% of the price.
- A property worth at least AED 2 million can qualify for a renewable 10-year Golden Visa.
- There is no annual property tax. Service charges must be approved by the regulator and are published.
Checked against official sources in October 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Prefer something you can see and move into now? View the ready property.
Ready property in DubaiGood to know
Practical tips
Dubai
Pay off-plan only into escrow
Payments for an off-plan home must go into the project's escrow account at a bank approved by the Dubai Land Department. That money may only be used to build your project.
Dubai
Off-plan and financing
UAE banks may finance at most 50% of an off-plan purchase. Plan your own contribution around the developer's payment schedule from the start.
Checked October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.
Guide
Guides about Dubai
Clear answers to the questions buyers ask us most, with the sources included.
- Dubai · Areas and citiesBuying an apartment in Downtown Dubai or Business BayBuying an apartment in Downtown Dubai or Business Bay? Location, developers, home types, freehold status, metro access and what to check first.
- Dubai · Areas and citiesBuying property in Dubai Creek Harbour: location, homes and what to checkLooking to buy property in Dubai Creek Harbour? Location on the creek, developer Emaar, home types, freehold status, metro and what to check.
- Dubai · Areas and citiesBuying property in Dubai Hills Estate: apartments, villas and what to checkBuying property in Dubai Hills Estate? Location, developer, apartments and villas, freehold status, access and what to check before you buy.
- Dubai · Areas and citiesBuying property on Dubai Islands: location, homes and what to checkThinking of buying property on Dubai Islands? The five islands off Deira, developer Nakheel, home types, freehold status and what to check first.
- Dubai · Areas and citiesBuying an apartment in Dubai Marina and JBR: what to knowBuying property in Dubai Marina or JBR? Location, developers, freehold status, tram and metro access, and what to check before you sign.
- Dubai · Areas and citiesBuying property in Dubai South: location, homes and what to checkLooking to buy property in Dubai South? Location by Al Maktoum Airport, the master developer, home types, freehold status and what to check first.
- Dubai · Areas and citiesBuying an apartment in JVC Dubai (Jumeirah Village Circle): area, homes and what to checkThinking of buying an apartment in JVC Dubai? Location, master developer Nakheel, home types, freehold status, access and what to check first.
- Dubai · Areas and citiesBuying an apartment or villa on Palm JumeirahBuying property on Palm Jumeirah? Location, Nakheel, the Trunk, Fronds and Crescent, freehold status, monorail access and what to check first.
- Dubai · BuyingBuy-to-let in Dubai: Ejari, the RERA rental index, holiday home permits and service chargesBuy-to-let in Dubai explained: Ejari registration, the RERA rental index and rent caps, the holiday home permit and service charges paid by owners.
- Dubai · BuyingBuying property in Dubai as a foreigner: rules, costs and pitfallsCan foreigners buy property in Dubai? The ownership rules, the official Dubai Land Department fees and the checks to do before you sign anything.
- Dubai · MarketDubai property market now: the figures for autumn 2026The Dubai property market in autumn 2026, in sourced figures: sales, mortgages, prices, rents, new supply and the effect of the regional war.
- Dubai · FinancingMortgage in Dubai for foreigners: loan limits, deposit and costsCan foreigners get a mortgage in Dubai? The UAE Central Bank loan limits, how much deposit you need, and the fees for registering the mortgage.
- Dubai · BuyingBuying off-plan in Dubai: escrow, Oqood and payment plans explainedBuying off-plan property in Dubai means paying a developer in stages before completion. How escrow, Oqood registration and your buyer rights work.
- Dubai · TaxDubai property tax for residents of the Netherlands and Belgium: box 3, treaties and cadastral incomeDubai property tax for Dutch, Belgian and French residents: how box 3 works, what the UAE treaties do and how Belgium taxes a home in Dubai.
- Dubai and Morocco · BuyingDubai or Morocco: buying property in Dubai vs Morocco comparedDubai or Morocco? An honest comparison of buying property in Dubai vs Morocco: ownership rules, process, cost structure, mortgages, residence and use.
- Dubai · LivingDubai Golden Visa through property: requirements, costs and how to applyThe Dubai Golden Visa for property investors: own property worth AED 2 million or more for a 10-year residence visa. Requirements, fees and steps.
- Dubai · LivingLiving in Dubai as a European: residence, tax, health insurance and schoolsLiving in Dubai as a European: which residence visa you need, how tax residence works, mandatory health insurance, schools and swapping your licence.
Projects
Example projects in Dubai
These are examples. I have access to every project, so if something catches your interest, we plan a conversation and look at exactly what you are looking for. Prices and availability I share personally and up to date.
Dubai
New launchCity Walk Crestlane
City Walk, Dubai
Apartments by Meraas in City Walk, where the pace of the city meets the calm of waterfront living.
- Type
- Apartments
- Bedrooms
- 1 to 4
- Handover
- Q4 2028 – Q2 2030
Dubai
New launchThe Valley
The Valley, Dubai
Townhouses by Emaar in The Valley, around green streets, its own Golden Beach, a sports village and a town centre.
- Type
- Townhouses
- Bedrooms
- 3 to 5
- Handover
- Q4 2028 – Q4 2029
Dubai
Off-planPasso by Beyond
Palm Jumeirah, Dubai
Apartments, penthouses and villas on the Crescent of Palm Jumeirah, with a private beach and marina.
- Type
- Apartments and villas
- Bedrooms
- 1 to 6
- Handover
- Q4 2029
Not every project is online
These are only a few examples. Through my network I have access to many more projects, including ones that are not yet widely known. Tell me what you are looking for and I'll see what fits.
Consultation
Looking for something in Dubai?
Tell me what you are looking for, and I will come back to you personally with a shortlist.
- An honest answer, even when that answer is no
- A wide network of trusted contacts for every step
- Your details are never sold or shared without your consent
- Consultations in Dutch, English, French or Arabic
Prefer to call or send a message?
- Phone (Dubai):
- +971 52 717 2539
- E-mail:
- akram@toubrealestate.com
