Off-plan in Dubai is regulated. Every registered project has an escrow account, a percentage-complete figure, and a published status. The Dubai Land Department updates this monthly. The official page is at dubailand.gov.ae and it is the single most useful tool an off-plan buyer has.
What the page actually shows
Search by developer, project name, or escrow account number. For each project you get:
- Construction completion percentage, updated monthly
- Project status (active, on hold, cancelled, completed)
- Escrow account balance and trustee bank
- Number of registered units, sold units, and remaining inventory
- Original expected completion date and any approved extensions
This is the same data RERA inspectors work from. The page is in English and Arabic. No login required.
How to read the percentage
The percentage moves in non-linear steps. Foundation and slab pours bump the number 10 to 15 percent each. Cladding and MEP can add 20 percent. Snagging and handover prep account for the final 8 to 12. A project that has sat at 62 percent for two quarters is the warning sign, not a project that just jumped from 30 to 48 percent in three months.
If two consecutive monthly updates show no movement, ask the developer in writing for a written status note. Their response time (and the substance of it) tells you what you need to know.
Three statuses that matter
- "Active, on schedule" is what you want. Continue with installments per the SPA.
- "Active, delayed" means RERA has approved an extension. Compare the new completion date to your SPA delay clause. If your contract gives a 12-month delay window and the new completion exceeds it, you may have rescission rights.
- "On hold" or "cancelled" requires immediate action. Contact the developer for the cure plan in writing, and contact RERA via the project status page to confirm what happens to your paid installments under the RERA escrow process.
What to do if your project flags red
Three steps, in order.
- Pull the escrow statement. The trustee bank publishes a quarterly statement to buyers on request. Your paid installments should sit in escrow, not the developer's operating account.
- File a status query through the DLD page directly. This creates a paper trail and forces an official response.
- Engage a real-estate-specialist lawyer if the cure window in your SPA has passed. The RERA-registered process protects buyers, but only when it is invoked. Letters sit in folders; filings get answered.
The off-plan payment plan decoded guide walks through which SPA clauses give you the strongest position when a project slips.
The take
DLD publishes the status. Read it monthly for any off-plan you own. Treat any stagnant project as a yellow flag, any cancellation as a red one. The escrow regulation is good, but it only protects you when you read the data it produces.
Source: Dubai Land Department real-estate project status portal, RERA off-plan oversight framework, escrow trustee statements.