Freehold areas in Dubai: what DLD's FAQ says

Foreigners can own property in Dubai only in freehold areas. Dubai Land Department's FAQ (read 9 October 2026) lists "Foreign ownership in freehold areas" as one of the two kinds of ownership right.

A freehold area is an area where non-UAE citizens may register property in their own name.

Who can own property where?

DLD's FAQ splits the right to own property in two. Emirati and GCC citizens, companies they wholly own and joint public companies may own across all areas. Foreigners may own in freehold areas.

The FAQ says the areas open to non-UAE citizens are those specified by the Ruler of Dubai under Dubai's real estate registration law (read 9 October 2026). A company owned by non-UAE citizens may register property there if it is registered in a Dubai free zone or in another emirate under the agreements concluded for that.

Do DLD's own records mark freehold and leasehold?

Yes. DLD's open-data portal, read 9 October 2026, has an "Is Free Hold?" field and an "Is Lease Hold" field in its Unit Details and Building Details downloads. The portal does not define either term.

Does the area type change any DLD procedure?

DLD's FAQ gives three examples:

• Land applications. Where land is in a freehold project or a long-term rental project, the developer applies through the developer portal. Where land is in the old areas of Dubai, which the FAQ calls non-freehold, the application goes through a Real Estate Services Trustee centre or the Customer Happiness Department.
• Ejari. The FAQ says a property is registered for Ejari, Dubai's tenancy contract system, through the Survey Department only when it is in a freehold area.
• Updating property details in Ejari. For a non-freehold property, the FAQ says details are updated through the business user login or at a trustee office. For a freehold property, the owner emails DLD's Survey Section.

What does this page not cover?

DLD's FAQ does not publish a list of freehold areas, and Keyva has not read one. The FAQ does not give the length of a leasehold term, so this page gives none.

Registered sale prices by area are on /areas.

Updated 9 October 2026: figures and wording corrected.