The main protection for an off-plan buyer in Dubai is the project escrow account. It does not cover every risk, though, and before you sign it is worth knowing which risks remain yours.
How escrow works
Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 requires a developer to open a separate escrow account at an approved bank for each off-plan project before selling units in it. Buyers' payments go into that account, and the developer draws on it as construction progress is certified. So the payment details you receive must be the escrow account of your project — check them against the SPA.
What escrow protects against
Money from one project being spent on another, and a developer collecting payments while construction stalls: funds are released against completed work. The sale is registered with the DLD (Oqood), so your right to the unit under construction sits in the government register.
Risks that remain
Handover delays. Escrow does not guarantee a date; read what the contract says about delays. Our catalogue shows the handover date wherever the developer publishes it, with the date we checked — Damac had dates published for 26 projects on 19 Oct 2026.
Plan load. With "eight 10% instalments + 20% on handover" (33 Emaar projects) most of the money is paid before you get the keys; with 20/80 it is the other way round. Work out amounts in the calculator on the project page — for example Couture by Cavalli (60/40).
Resale before completion. Assignment terms (how much must be paid first, the developer's fee) are set by the contract — check them if you might sell before handover.
Currency. Prices and payments are in AED; if you earn in another currency, your total depends on the rate at each instalment.
Before you sign
Check the broker's ORN, the escrow account number, the clauses on handover delay and assignment, and who pays the 4% DLD fee. We do not give legal advice; developer data and the price list for a project can be requested with the form on its page. The purchase steps are in how to buy off-plan remotely.