How to Check the Status of a Real Estate Project in Dubai

Buying an off-plan property in Dubai requires more than reviewing brochures, payment plans and promised completion dates. Before paying a reservation amount—and throughout the construction period—an investor should independently check the project’s official status.

Dubai Land Department, commonly known as DLD, provides official digital services through which purchasers can review project information, monitor construction progress and verify whether a development is registered and active.

This guide explains how to check a real-estate project’s status in Dubai, what information investors should review and what steps to take when the available information raises concerns.

Why Should Investors Check a Project’s Official Status?

A project’s official status may help an investor understand whether:

• The development is registered with DLD.
• The developer is licensed.
• Construction has commenced.
• The reported completion percentage is progressing.
• An approved escrow account exists.
• The project appears active, completed, delayed, suspended or subject to cancellation procedures.
• Payment demands correspond with the construction progress.
• Further legal or financial investigation may be required.

Investors should rely on official DLD information rather than depending exclusively on statements made by developers, brokers, sales representatives or online property advertisements.

Use the DLD Project Status Enquiry Service

Dubai Land Department operates a Project Status Enquiry service. The service allows users to inquire about the completion percentage and other details of real-estate projects in Dubai.

According to DLD’s published guidance, users may search for a project using information such as:

• The project name.
• The project number.
• The plot or land number.

The results may include the project’s completion percentage, current status and other project information available in DLD’s records.

Steps to Check the Project

1. Visit the official Dubai Land Department website.
2. Open the Project Status Enquiry service.
3. Enter the available project information, such as the project name, number or plot details.
4. Review the project information displayed by the system.
5. Save or print the results for your records.

The service is intended to provide customers with information about real-estate projects and their completion status in the Emirate of Dubai.

Check the Project Through the Dubai REST Application

Investors may also access the project-status service through the official Dubai REST mobile application.

DLD identifies the project-status feature in the application as Project Status—Mashrooi. After installing Dubai REST, users can access Mashrooi from the home screen or the services menu.

The Dubai REST application may provide off-plan purchasers with information including:

• The project’s reported completion percentage.
• Actual project photographs.
• The project escrow-account number.
• Payments recorded as due from owners.
• Project details and updates.
• The option to save projects as favourites for easier monitoring.

The application can therefore be useful not only before purchasing but also throughout the construction period.

What Information Should an Investor Review?

Locating the project is only the first step. Investors should examine the available information carefully and compare it with their contractual documents.

1. Project Name and Registration Details

Confirm that the project name shown in DLD’s system matches the project identified in the reservation form and Sale and Purchase Agreement.

Developments are sometimes marketed under commercial names that differ slightly from their registered names. The investor should also confirm the project number, plot information, master development and relevant development phase.

2. Developer’s Name

Check that the developer identified in the DLD records is the same legal entity named in the Sale and Purchase Agreement.

Investors should be cautious where payments are requested by:

• A marketing company.
• A broker.
• An affiliated company.
• A contractor.
• An overseas company.
• An entity whose name does not match the registered developer.

DLD provides a separate Licensed Developers service through which customers may review the list of real-estate developers approved by the Department.

3. Construction Completion Percentage

Review the recorded completion percentage and compare it with:

• The previous percentage reported by DLD.
• Photographs of the site.
• Construction updates issued by the developer.
• Payment milestones under the contract.
• The contractual completion date.
• Any applicable contractual grace period.

A percentage displayed in the project-status system should be treated as one part of the investor’s assessment. It should not be considered a substitute for reviewing the contract, certified construction milestones and current regulatory status.

DLD also provides developers with a process for obtaining an approved technical report of the project’s actual completion percentage, which may involve a site visit, construction records and a technical assessment.

4. Project Status

The exact wording shown in the system is important.

A project may appear as:

• Active.
• Under construction.
• Completed.
• Delayed.
• Inactive.
• Under cancellation.
• Cancelled.

These terms should not be treated as having the same legal effect.

A project experiencing delay is not necessarily legally cancelled. Similarly, a project described as under cancellation has not necessarily reached a final cancellation decision. Investors should obtain advice before stopping payments, terminating a contract or beginning proceedings based solely on an informal understanding of the project’s status.

5. Escrow-Account Information

For an off-plan purchase, verify whether the payment instructions correspond with the project’s approved escrow account.

DLD explains that approved escrow-account trustees are banks or financial institutions authorised to manage real-estate project escrow accounts. DLD also publishes a list of approved escrow-account trustees.

Investors should not transfer purchase instalments to an individual, broker or unrelated company without confirming the legal basis and obtaining appropriate advice.

The project’s escrow-account number may also be available through Dubai REST.

Check the Developer Separately

A project appearing in marketing materials does not eliminate the need to verify the developer.

Using DLD’s licensed-developer service, an investor should compare:

• The developer’s registered name.
• Licence information.
• Contact details.
• The company identified in the Sale and Purchase Agreement.
• The entity named on payment instructions.
• The entity issuing receipts.

The official DLD service allows customers to view real-estate developers approved by the Department.

Any unexplained difference between the registered developer, contracting company and payment recipient should be investigated before money is transferred.

Verify the Broker and Advertising Permit

Where a project is introduced through a broker, the broker’s licence and professional details should also be checked.

DLD provides an official database of licensed real-estate brokers and offices.

Real-estate advertisements in Dubai may also contain a Madmoun QR code, which allows users to check the validity of the advertising permit and review verified information connected with the advertisement. The Madmoun system was introduced through DLD’s Trakheesi framework to strengthen transparency in real-estate advertising.

Investors should be cautious where:

• An advertisement has no permit information.
• A QR code does not work.
• The project details differ after scanning the code.
• The advertising broker is not licensed.
• A broker requests payment directly.
• The advertised unit cannot be matched with official project records.

DLD also provides a service for verifying electronic licences and permits issued through the Trakheesi system.

Confirm That the Off-Plan Sale Is Registered

Checking the overall project does not necessarily confirm that the investor’s specific unit has been properly registered.

Off-plan sales are generally registered in Dubai’s provisional or interim real-property register through the Oqood system. DLD describes its initial-sale registration service as the process through which developers register off-plan units or land plots whose prices have not yet been fully paid.

An investor should request and retain the relevant Oqood or provisional-registration documentation and confirm that it correctly states:

• The purchaser’s name.
• The unit number.
• The project.
• The purchase price.
• The date of registration.
• The developer’s details.

A project may be officially registered while a particular sale, assignment or purchaser record still requires correction or registration.

Compare Progress With the Payment Schedule

Many off-plan contracts connect instalments to construction milestones. A payment demand should therefore be reviewed against:

• The contract’s payment schedule.
• The construction percentage shown by DLD.
• Any consultant certificate supplied by the developer.
• The due date stated in the notice.
• The amount previously paid.
• The balance shown in the developer’s statement.

DLD’s guidance states that where payments are linked to completion percentages, purchasers may seek information about the project’s current completion level, including confirmation from the project consultant approved by DLD.

An investor should not automatically ignore a payment notice merely because construction appears delayed. Unilaterally stopping payment can create a purchaser-default dispute.

Equally, investors should not make a milestone-based payment without checking whether the claimed milestone is supported by the available project information and contractual documents.

How Often Should a Purchaser Check the Project?

An off-plan purchaser should monitor the project regularly rather than checking only at the time of reservation.

A sensible monitoring routine may include:

• Checking before signing the reservation form.
• Checking before signing the Sale and Purchase Agreement.
• Checking before each major instalment.
• Checking when a construction milestone is claimed.
• Checking when the developer announces a revised completion date.
• Checking when communications from the developer stop.
• Checking when the construction site appears inactive.
• Checking before accepting a transfer, replacement unit or settlement proposal.

Investors should keep dated screenshots, downloaded records, emails and other evidence showing what information was available at each stage.

Warning Signs Requiring Further Investigation

An investor should consider obtaining legal advice where:

• The project cannot be found in the DLD system.
• The developer cannot be found among licensed developers.
• The project details differ from the contract.
• Construction progress has remained unchanged for a prolonged period.
• Payment demands are inconsistent with the reported completion percentage.
• Payment is requested outside the approved escrow account.
• The developer repeatedly changes the completion date.
• The project is shown as inactive or under cancellation.
• The purchaser has not received evidence of Oqood registration.
• The developer offers another unit in exchange for waiving existing rights.
• The investor is asked to sign a settlement, waiver or termination agreement.
• The project appears to have been formally cancelled.

These circumstances do not necessarily prove fraud, breach or project failure. They do, however, justify a careful legal and documentary review.

What to Do If the Project Is Incomplete or Cancelled

Dubai REST includes an Incomplete and Cancelled Projects Committee service.

DLD’s published user guide states that an affected purchaser may:

1. Open the Dubai REST application.
2. Select Services.
3. Choose Incomplete and Cancelled Projects Committee.
4. Search for the relevant project.
5. Open the project details.
6. Update the buyer-information request.
7. Enter personal and property information.
8. Provide details such as the purchase date, purchase price and amount paid.
9. Upload the requested supporting documents.

Purchasers should ensure that their contact details and payment information remain accurate, as these records may be relevant to notifications, financial verification and any future liquidation or refund process.

Documents Investors Should Preserve

Investors should keep a complete file containing:

• Passport and Emirates ID copies.
• Reservation form.
• Sale and Purchase Agreement.
• Contractual addenda.
• Oqood or provisional-registration certificate.
• Payment receipts.
• Bank-transfer confirmations.
• Developer statements.
• Escrow-account details.
• Payment notices.
• Construction reports.
• Project-status screenshots.
• Advertisements and brochures.
• Broker communications.
• Emails and messages from the developer.
• Notices from DLD, RERA or any competent tribunal.
• Proposed settlement or replacement-unit agreements.

These records may become important where there is a dispute concerning registration, payment, delay, termination, refund or compensation.

Can the DLD Project Status Result Replace Legal Advice?

No. The project-status service is an important source of official information, but it does not determine every contractual or legal issue between an investor and developer.

The displayed status may not, by itself, answer:

• Whether a delay amounts to a fundamental contractual breach.
• Whether an investor may stop paying instalments.
• Whether the contract may be terminated.
• Whether the purchaser is entitled to a refund.
• Whether additional compensation can be claimed.
• Whether the matter belongs before the Dubai Courts, a special tribunal or arbitration.
• Whether a settlement offer adequately protects the investor.

Those questions require an examination of the contract, payment record, registration status, regulatory information and individual facts.

Conclusion

Checking a real-estate project’s status in Dubai is a fundamental part of protecting an off-plan investment.

Investors should use Dubai Land Department’s official Project Status Enquiry service and the Dubai REST application to review project information, completion percentages, photographs and available escrow details. They should also verify the developer, broker, advertising permit and registration of their specific off-plan unit.

Most importantly, project monitoring should continue throughout construction—not only before the initial purchase.

Where the official records reveal inactivity, prolonged delay, inconsistent payment demands or cancellation procedures, investors should preserve their documents and obtain legal advice before stopping payments, signing a settlement or commencing a legal claim.

Legal Disclaimer

This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Project records, contractual terms and legal remedies vary from case to case. Investors should obtain specific legal advice before taking or refraining from any action. The official sources referred to in this article were reviewed on 13 July 2026.