Updated
GL-D-07
01 / In 30 seconds
The short answer
- DLD
- The Dubai Land Department — keeps the register of rights to real estate
- Oqood
- Registration of a contract for a property under construction (off-plan)
- Ejari
- Official registration of a tenancy contract
- Why you need to know this
- Without official registration your rights are poorly protected
- The practical conclusion
- Check that the deal is registered, not merely signed
02 / In plain words
What DLD / Oqood / Ejari means
When buying property in Dubai, the buyer encounters three terms almost immediately. DLD (Dubai Land Department) is the land department, the state body that keeps the register of rights to real estate and registers transactions. It is there that ownership of a property is recorded.
Oqood is the registration of a contract for a property at the construction stage (off-plan). Until the property is completed and the title deed is issued, the buyer’s rights are protected through this registration in the system. Ejari is the official registration of a tenancy contract: it makes the tenancy legally transparent and is required for a range of everyday procedures.
The practical point for the buyer is simple: a signed contract and a registered transaction are different things. Until the transaction has been officially registered, the buyer’s position is considerably weaker. That is why the registration status is checked independently rather than taken on trust, and confirmations are kept for every stage — they will also be needed to evidence the investment for a programme.
A case from practice
A buyer of a property under construction paid according to the schedule but did not check the registration status of the contract. When the investment had to be evidenced for a programme, some of the documents had to be gathered after the fact. Checking at each stage saves those weeks.
When you will need this
- Buying a home in Dubai
- A deal on a property under construction
- Arranging a tenancy
- Evidencing an investment for a programme
- Selling a property
- Checking the status of a transaction
03 / What it covers
What each term means
DLD
- A state body
- Register of rights
- Registration of transactions
Oqood
- Properties under construction
- Protection of the buyer’s rights
- Until the title deed is issued
Ejari
- Tenancy registration
- Transparency of the relationship
- Required for procedures
What to check
- The fact of registration
- Data in the documents
- Match with the contract
04 / How it works
How registration works
Choosing and checking the property
Signing the contract
Official registration of the transaction
Payment according to the schedule
Title deed on completion
05 / Key facts
What you need to know
01
A signed contract and a registered transaction are different things
02
Registration is especially important for properties under construction
03
The status of a transaction can be checked officially
04
Tenancies are registered too
05
The documents will be needed to evidence the investment
Common mistakes
- Treating signing the contract as sufficient protection
- Not checking the fact of registration yourself
- Paying according to the schedule without tracking the property’s status
- Not keeping supporting documents
- Relying only on the word of the developer’s agent
06 / Expert advice
How to prepare in advance
Before the deal, confirm exactly how and when the contract will be registered, and after signing check the fact of registration rather than relying on promises. All supporting documents are kept in one set: they will be needed both on resale and to evidence the investment for an immigration programme.
What we do for you. We handle the documentation in parallel with the deal: we make sure the contract is registered and the set of confirmations is assembled straight away. By the time you apply for the programme, the documents are already ready rather than being gathered in a rush.
Igor VentsHead of real estate, Title Deed and property checks
07 / Questions
Frequently asked questions
The Dubai Land Department — the state body that keeps the register of rights to real estate and registers transactions.
Registration of a contract for a property under construction. Until the title deed is issued, the buyer’s rights are protected through this registration.
It is the official registration of a tenancy contract, which makes the relationship transparent and is required for a range of everyday procedures.
No. Until the transaction is officially registered, the buyer’s position is considerably weaker. The fact of registration is checked separately.
Through the official channels of the land department. It is not wise to rely only on the word of the agent or developer.
As a rule, yes: evidence of the investment is built on the official documents for the property. They are gathered straight away, not after the fact.
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