Off-plan projects: how to check DLD registration first

Dubai Land Department's Project Status Enquiry finds a project by land number, project number or name, and shows its completion percentage and details (page read 9 October 2026). It runs on DLD's website, the Dubai REST app and WhatsApp.

Off-plan means sold before the building is finished. DLD is the Dubai Land Department.

What does registering a project involve?

DLD's Register Project page says the service lets development companies register a real estate project and open an escrow account for off-plan sales (read 9 October 2026). DLD's FAQ describes the escrow account as the project's bank account for money paid by buyers of off-plan units and by the project's financiers.

The page lists the developer's steps:

1. a request in the Oqood portal, with the required documents;
2. a unit survey request and a technical report request;
3. a request to the account custodian to open the escrow account;
4. DLD's review, which accepts or rejects the request;
5. the registration fee;
6. the certificate, issued electronically.

DLD's FAQ calls Oqood the self-registration system.

The terms on that page include land in freehold or long-term lease areas, and an ownership deed; preliminary sales certificates are not accepted (read 9 October 2026). They also require a 30% guarantee: 30% of construction completed, a bank guarantee covering 30% of construction, or a 30% cash deposit (page read 9 October 2026).

The document issued is a Real Estate Project Approval Certificate.

When may a project be marketed?

DLD's FAQ says a new project can be launched or announced only after all registration procedures are complete and the accreditation certificate is issued (FAQ read 9 October 2026).

How do I look a project up?

The Project Status Enquiry page, read 9 October 2026, gives these steps on the website or app:

1. select the service under Information Services;
2. enter the land number, project number or project name;
3. read the information shown. For WhatsApp, the page says to save 8004488, the Land Department's contact (read 9 October 2026). It says the virtual assistant, Malik, then handles the request.

The search page, read with a plain download on 9 October 2026, shows field labels such as project number, completion, escrow and developer details, but no project data. Keyva did not run a search there. The page also points to the Dubai REST app, where the service is called Mashrooi.

What does the Dubai REST app add?

DLD's Dubai REST page says off-plan buyers can see a project's completion percentage, actual pictures, escrow account number and the payments due (read 9 October 2026).

Which other DLD lists apply?

DLD's e-services include a list of real estate developers approved by the Land Department and a list of approved escrow account trustees (service pages read 9 October 2026). A separate service verifies licences and permits issued through the Trakheesi system.

The Real Estate Data page in DLD's open-data section has a Project tab. Its status filter lists Active, Freezed, Under Reviewing, Conditional Activating, Under Cancellation Notification, Under Cancellation Decision, Cancelled and Finished (read 9 October 2026).

What does the FAQ say about payment requests?

DLD's FAQ says payment schedules follow completion rates (FAQ read 9 October 2026). On a payment request, it says, the investor has the right to know the completion percentage through a letter from the project consultant approved by DLD. Otherwise the investor is not obliged to pay, unless the agreed stage is confirmed.

The FAQ adds that an investor may obtain a completion report from the technical auditor at the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA). The audit fee it gives is AED 15,000 per unit or villa (FAQ read 9 October 2026).

Keyva's own pages

Keyva's asking vs actual page sets developers' advertised prices beside off-plan sales recorded with Dubai Land Department in the 24 months to 7 October 2026. It does not show a project's registration status.

Keyva is independent and is not part of, or endorsed by, the Dubai Land Department.

Prepared 9 October 2026 from pages read that day.