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United Arab Emirates · AED

Buyin Dubai

Foreigners can buy freehold in designated Dubai zones. Title comes from the Dubai Land Department. Off-plan money should sit in a RERA escrow account.

Abu DhabiSharjahRas Al Khaimah
Freehold zones
RERA escrow
3D map
4% / 2%transfer fee: Dubai vs the other emirates
0%annual property tax — the service charge is the carry
RERA escrowwhere off-plan money is legally required to sit
Ejaritenancy registration that makes a lease enforceable
What a purchase really costs

AED 1,500,000 home in Dubai

Land Department transfer fee (4%)
AED 60,000
Trustee office & title issuance
AED 2,250
NOC and developer admin
AED 1,500
Agency, buyer side (2% + 5% VAT)
AED 31,500
Cash needed at the trustee office
AED 1,595,250

≈ +6.4% over the price. Dubai charges 4% at the Land Department; Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates charge 2%. There is no annual property tax, which is why the service charge — quoted in dirhams per square foot and revised yearly — is the number that actually decides a yield. Off-plan money belongs in a RERA escrow account; if there is no escrow, there is no deal.

Rentals run on rules

The rent side, in three lines

  • Every tenancy must be registered on Ejari — an unregistered contract has no standing at the rental dispute centre.
  • The RERA rental index sets how far a landlord may raise on renewal, and 90 days’ written notice is required to change any term.
  • Rent is still commonly paid in one to four cheques, and DEWA plus district cooling sit outside the quoted rent.

Service charge is the second mortgage nobody quotes. Ask for the per-square-foot figure and the last two years of revisions.

Cities

Four emirates, four rulebooks

Freehold is granted zone by zone and the transfer fee changes at the emirate border. Dubai’s DLD is not Abu Dhabi’s DMT, and a Sharjah title is a different instrument again.

Neighborhoods

Areas in Dubai

Premium districts with price anchors, walk and transit scores.

Ready transfers are a DLD appointment, not a screenshot of a contract. Off-plan is a construction schedule plus escrow — if there is no RERA account, walk away.

Service charges, DLD transfer fees (commonly 4%) and agency commission sit on top of the ask. sivrce will not list a Dubai unit we cannot source and verify.

FAQ

Which areas are freehold?
Marina, Downtown, JVC, Arabian Ranches, Palm Jumeirah and many other designated zones. Some older districts remain leasehold — check the title, not the brochure.
Off-plan vs ready?
Off-plan needs escrow and a delivery record. Ready is slower to appreciate in a soft market but you can inspect the actual apartment.

All markets: sivrce.com · Georgia marketplace: sivrce.ge · Prices and availability are published only when a verified listing exists. Market currency: AED.