Short answer
- When a Dubai developer is not responding, the Dubai REST app's Project Status (Mashrooi) still shows the project's status, completion and escrow details without the developer's help.
- Write, don't call: dated emails to every published address, then a formal letter, create the record any later process will need.
- Under Article 12 of Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, depositors may see their own escrow records and ask for copies from the escrow agent.
- If a developer refuses or delays your Oqood registration, the DLD FAQ says you can apply to its Real Estate Registration Assurance section.
- The DLD can try an amicable settlement but cannot cancel a contract; termination and compensation claims go to the Dubai Courts or arbitration.
Silence is one of the hardest parts of owning off-plan property from a distance. When a developer is not responding on an off-plan purchase in Dubai, the useful response is a calm paper trail, built while you check what the official record shows.
Here is what silence can and cannot tell you, how to document it, and the order to escalate in, based on Dubai's procedures.
Developer not responding on an off-plan unit in Dubai: what first?
Start two tracks at once: check the official record yourself, and put every question to the developer in writing. The record tells you whether the project is moving; the writing proves you asked.
Silence alone proves nothing about a project. Sales teams change, inboxes overflow and relationship managers leave. What matters is whether the registry shows activity, and whether your written questions get an answer within a reasonable time.
I tried contacting the company's office in South Korea but there was no reply.
How do you check the project without the developer?
The Dubai Land Department (DLD) publishes project data that does not depend on the developer replying. Its Dubai REST app shows status, completion percentage, the escrow account number and inspection details for registered projects.
Open Project Status (Mashrooi)
In Dubai REST, go to Services, then Project Status (Mashrooi), and search by project name. Foreign investors log in with UAE PASS, which has a passport-based "Visitor" route, or a title deed.Note the signals
Gulf News (2023) reports the app shows a status label, projected completion date, last inspection date and site photos. Record each, with the date you looked.Ask the escrow bank
Article 12 of Law No. 8 of 2007 lets depositors see their own accounting records and request copies. The escrow agent is a UAE Central Bank-licensed bank approved by RERA.Confirm your registration
Your Oqood certificate is emailed after the SPA is registered on the DLD's interim register. If it never arrived, note that too.
- Project data without the developer
- Dubai REST
- Project Status (Mashrooi)
- Source: DLD
- Your escrow records
- Right to copies
- Law 8/2007, Art. 12
- Source: Dubai Legislation Portal
- SPA registration deadline
- 90 days
- from signing
- Source: DLD
- Independent completion report
- AED 15,000
- per unit or villa
- Source: DLD FAQ
How do you build a paper trail when a Dubai developer is ignoring emails?
Put every contact in writing, date it, and keep proof of sending. A paper trail is the difference between "they never answered" and evidence a lawyer, the DLD or a court can use.
Paper trail essentials
Can't reach the developer in Dubai: when do you escalate, and to whom?
Escalate when written questions go unanswered past your stated deadline, or sooner if the registry shows a problem. The order below moves from least to most formal.
| Step | Who | What it can do | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Developer, in writing | Answer, correct records, agree a fix | Your SPA |
| 2 | DLD Real Estate Registration Assurance | Act on refused or delayed Oqood registration | DLD FAQ |
| 3 | DLD conciliation | Broker a settlement that is binding once approved; cannot cancel a contract | ECR 6/2010, Art. 14 via Khaleej Times; DLD FAQ |
| 4 | Dubai Courts or arbitration | Decide termination or compensation claims | Law 13/2008, Art. 11(g) |
The DLD's FAQ says it cannot terminate a contract at the investor's request and that termination belongs in the real estate court. The DLD's Rental Disputes Center handles lease disputes, not off-plan sales.
UK government advice says that in Dubai, cases can take many months and, on occasions, years, and that buyers "could consider approaching RERA". The steps for a contested case are in handling an off-plan dispute with a developer.
But you have to be here in order to be liable effectively.
What should you not do when the developer stopped replying on an off-plan deal?
Do not stop paying, pay anyone new, or sign anything new without checking first. Silence makes buyers vulnerable to rushed decisions and to people offering shortcuts.
- Paying a new account, agent or 'collections team' not shown as the project escrow account in Dubai REST
- Withholding installments without legal advice, which can open termination under Article 11 of Law No. 13 of 2008, as amended by Law No. 19 of 2020
- Signing a transfer, addendum or settlement sent by someone you cannot verify
If the project is late as well as silent, see what to do when an off-plan project is delayed. If the registry shows the project as cancelled, see refunds for a cancelled project. To confirm your payments went to the right place, use the escrow verification guide, or run a Property Check on the project.
Buying from the UK, US, Canada or Australia?
- UK: silent developer questions for UK buyers
- US: an escalation playbook for US buyers
- Canada: paper-trail checklist for Canadian buyers
- Australia: escalation decision tree for Australian buyers
What does it mean if a Dubai developer is ignoring emails?
Can the DLD force a developer to reply to me?
How can I see my payments if I can't reach the developer in Dubai?
Should I stop paying if the developer stopped replying?
Related guides
- GuideOff-plan dispute with a developer in Dubai: DLD settlement, Dubai Courts or arbitration
- GuideOff-plan project delayed in Dubai: what to do first
- GuideHow to verify the escrow account for off-plan property in Dubai before you pay
- GuideDubai off-plan project cancelled: how the refund works, step by step
Sources
- Frequently asked questions (Dubai Land Department)
- Project Status (Mashrooi) service guide (Dubai Land Department)
- Dubai off-plan property buyers protected by Oqood registration and SPA (Khaleej Times, 2026)
- Law No. 8 of 2007 concerning escrow accounts (Dubai Legislation Portal)
- How to buy property in the UAE (GOV.UK)
- Request to register the initial sale (Dubai Land Department)
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws and procedures change; check the official source before acting. Published 12 October 2026, last updated 12 October 2026.