How handovers work
Off-plan in Dubai is unusually well-regulated: every project has a public RERA file, every dirham of buyer money sits in escrow, and the law gives buyers strong remedies for delay.
Every off-plan project must register with RERA and report quarterly construction progress. The RERA percentage is the official figure used to release escrow funds to the developer.
Final instalment (typically 20–40% of the price) becomes due. You receive keys, the title deed transfers, and the unit can be listed for rent or resale immediately.
Under UAE Law No. 8 of 2007, if a developer delays handover by more than 12 months from the RERA-registered date, buyers may demand full escrow refund or continued performance.
Top-tier developers (Binghatti, Damac, several Emaar masterplans) routinely beat the RERA date by 2–6 months — turning paper appreciation into actual rent or resale earlier.
