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Who can buy, and where: freehold areas under Law No. 7 of 2006
Property ownership in Dubai is governed by Law No. 7 of 2006 Concerning Real Property Registration in the Emirate of Dubai. Article 4 allows non-UAE and non-GCC nationals to acquire freehold ownership, or a usufruct or lease of up to 99 years, in areas designated by the Ruler of Dubai. These are the freehold areas.
They include most communities an international buyer would consider: Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Bay Island, Emirates Hills, Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay, Dubai Hills Estate and many others.
There is no requirement to hold a residence visa or to live in the UAE. A foreign individual can buy in their own name; a foreign or offshore company can also own, subject to the Dubai Land Department (DLD) accepting its corporate documents. Ownership is evidenced by a title deed issued by the DLD.
Bonum Realty concentrates on a few freehold communities at the top of the market: Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Bay Island, Emirates Hills and selected off-plan projects by Meraas and Omniyat. See our guides to Palm Jumeirah villas and Jumeirah Bay Island.
Ready property or off-plan
A ready property already has a title deed and is sold by its owner; the transfer is registered at a DLD registration trustee office. That is the process described below.
An off-plan property is bought from a developer before completion. The buyer signs the developer's Sale and Purchase Agreement, the purchase is registered with the DLD as an Oqood (initial registration), instalments are paid into a RERA-controlled escrow account, and a title deed is issued on completion. The developer, the project and its escrow account must all be registered with RERA.
Step by step: from offer to title deed
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Offer | The buyer offers through the broker; price, payment terms, inclusions and a target transfer date are agreed. |
| 2. Form F (MOU) | Both parties sign the RERA Unified Sale Contract, Form F, still often called the MOU. It records the price, deposit, completion date and default penalties, and is signed by the parties and their brokers. |
| 3. Deposit | Customarily 10% of the price, usually a manager's cheque made out to the seller and held in safekeeping by the broker until transfer. |
| 4. Developer NOC | The seller obtains a No Objection Certificate from the developer confirming service charges are paid and nothing is outstanding. The developer charges a fee. |
| 5. Mortgage release | If the seller has a mortgage, it is settled and discharged at the DLD before or at transfer. |
| 6. Transfer | Both parties, or attorneys under a notarised power of attorney, attend a DLD-licensed registration trustee office. The buyer pays the balance, the DLD transfer fee and the trustee fee, and the sale is registered. |
| 7. Title deed | The DLD issues the title deed in the buyer's name, normally the same day in electronic form, and keys are handed over. |
For the fees at each step, see Dubai property purchase costs and the calculator on our home page.
Typical timeline
For a cash purchase of an unmortgaged ready property, two to four weeks from signed Form F to title deed is common. The variables are how quickly the developer issues the NOC, when both parties can attend the trustee office, and the time needed to move funds into the UAE.
- Buyer with a mortgage: add pre-approval, valuation and the final offer letter; four to eight weeks is a reasonable assumption.
- Seller with a mortgage: the release process often adds one to three weeks.
- Buyer overseas: a power of attorney executed abroad must be notarised, attested by the UAE embassy in that country and by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and translated into Arabic. Allow two to four weeks.
Documents you will need
- Passport for every person who will appear on the title deed.
- Emirates ID if you are a UAE resident. Non-residents buy on their passport.
- Proof and source of funds where the bank or trustee asks for it under UAE anti-money-laundering rules. Brokers also carry out know-your-customer checks.
- Power of attorney, attested and translated, if someone will sign for you.
- Manager's cheques from a UAE bank, or a transfer arrangement acceptable to the trustee office.
A company buyer will additionally need attested and translated incorporation documents, a board resolution and the signatory's passport; offshore companies must be registered with the DLD before they can hold title.
What a licensed broker does for you
A Dubai broker must be registered with the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), hold an Office Registration Number (ORN) for the firm and a Broker Registration Number (BRN) for each agent, and operate under a Department of Economy and Tourism trade licence. A licensed broker will:
- Verify that the seller is the registered owner and that the property is free of undisclosed encumbrances.
- Confirm the community is a designated freehold area and that you are eligible to buy.
- Prepare Form F and the broker agreements (Form A with the seller, Form B with the buyer) and hold the deposit cheque in safekeeping.
- Obtain service-charge statements, the developer's NOC and, where relevant, extension or planning permits.
- Coordinate mortgage release, the trustee appointment and the transfer itself.
Bonum Realty L.L.C is registered with RERA under ORN 34799 and holds DED licence 1168323. Our office is on the 5th Floor, Rasis Business Centre Building, Al Barsha 1, Dubai; enquiry form; info@bonumrealty.com.
How to verify a broker and a listing
Every element of a legitimate Dubai transaction can be checked against a public register:
- Dubai REST app, the DLD's official application, lets you search brokers by name, ORN or BRN and confirm the licence is active, and look up project and developer registration.
- ORN and BRN should appear on the broker's emails, on Form F and on advertisements. Check that the agent's BRN belongs to the firm whose ORN is quoted.
- Trakheesi permit: every property advertisement in Dubai, including social media posts, must carry a permit number issued through the DLD's Trakheesi system and a QR code that resolves to the DLD's listing record. Scan it; if the permit is missing, expired or for a different property, treat the listing as unverified. Bonum's listing at Villa Amalfi, Jumeirah Bay Island, for example, carries DLD permit 69262881317.
- Deposits should be made out to the seller and held by the broker, never sent to an agent's personal account.