Short answer
- The official projected completion date for a registered Dubai project appears in the DLD's Dubai REST app under Project Status (Mashrooi).
- RERA periodically asks developers to update the expected completion date and completion rate, so the registry date can move over time.
- Your SPA's anticipated completion date plus its extension clause, often up to 12 months, is the contractual benchmark.
- A broker's verbal date has no contractual weight unless it appears in the SPA or a signed addendum.
- No verified Dubai rule requires a developer to notify each buyer individually of a revised date, so checking yourself matters.
Handover date changed? Dubai off-plan buyers usually face three different dates: the one in your contract, the one in the government registry and the one a broker mentioned. Only the first two count, and they rarely match exactly.
This guide shows where to see the current official date, how to read it against your Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA), and what to do when the numbers disagree, using Dubai's systems.
How do you see the current completion date in Dubai REST?
The Dubai Land Department's Dubai REST app shows a registered project's projected completion date alongside its status and percentage complete. You need the project name, and an account the app will accept.
Get access
Dubai REST is the DLD's official app on iOS and Android. Its version notes say foreign investors log in with UAE PASS or a title deed; UAE PASS offers a "Visitor" path for passport holders.Find Project Status (Mashrooi)
Open Services, select Project Status (Mashrooi) and search by project name. The DLD website offers the same lookup by plot number, project number or project name.Read the dates
Gulf News (2023) lists what the app shows: construction start date, projected completion date, project registration date, last inspection date, a downloadable inspection report and site photos.Capture it
Take a dated screenshot. If the date later moves, you will have a record of each version you saw.
Handover date changed in Dubai off-plan: which date counts?
The SPA date counts contractually, and the registry date shows where the project officially stands today. A broker's date counts for nothing unless it was written into the contract.
| Source | What it is | Contractual weight | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPA | Anticipated completion date plus any extension right | Yes: this is the agreed term | Your signed agreement and addenda |
| Dubai REST | Projected completion date in the DLD record | Not a contract term; official status | Project Status (Mashrooi) |
| Broker or sales pitch | A date said in person, in an ad or by message | None unless written into the SPA | Your notes, brochures, chats |
…the developer promised a completion date of 2019.
If the brochure promised one year and the SPA states another, the SPA prevails for any claim you might make. Keep the brochure anyway; it records what you were told when you decided to buy.
How does an anticipated completion date extension in the SPA work?
Most Dubai SPAs give the developer a right to push the anticipated completion date back without breaching the contract. Afridi & Angell (2019) describe extensions of often 12 months, and BSA, quoted in Arabian Business, cites 6 to 12 months depending on the contract.
Look for three things in the clause. First, the length of the grace period and whether it runs automatically. Second, the force-majeure list. Third, any wording about notice to buyers or payment for lateness.
Force-majeure events listed in Executive Council Resolution No. 6 of 2010, Article 21, per a portal summary, include expropriation, a government suspension for re-planning, obstacles found on site and changes made by the master developer.
Why does the new completion date in Dubai keep moving?
The registry date moves because RERA, the DLD's regulator, asks developers to update it. The DLD's FAQ says RERA periodically reviews registered projects and requests an updated expected completion date and completion rate.
If a project's technical report is more than three months old, the developer pays a technical report fee, according to the same FAQ. Each review can produce a new projected date in the app.
- Who updates the date
- Developer, at RERA's request
- Source: DLD FAQ
- Typical SPA extension
- 6 to 12 months
- set by contract
- Source: Arabian Business / Afridi & Angell
- Independent completion report
- AED 15,000
- per unit or villa
- Source: DLD FAQ
What is not verified: any statutory duty on a Dubai developer to notify each buyer individually of a revised date, or a formal RERA approval procedure for extensions. Do not assume a letter will arrive.
What the projected date does not tell you
A projected date is an estimate, not a commitment. It does not say why the date moved, whether a force-majeure event is being claimed, or whether the SPA grace period has already been used up.
Read it together with the completion percentage and the last inspection date. A date that keeps moving while the percentage stays flat across several inspections tells a different story from a date that moves once while work advances. If you want an independent figure, the DLD's FAQ says RERA's technical auditor can produce a completion report on request.
What should you do when the dates don't match?
Write down each date, then ask the developer to explain the gap in writing. A neutral, dated request builds the record you will need if the situation escalates.
When the registry and SPA disagree
If the registry shows little progress and the contractual date has passed, our guide on what to do when an off-plan project is delayed sets out the next moves. Whether a payment is owed for lateness is covered in compensation for delayed handover, and billing checks are in checking progress before a payment.
Before you sign any addendum that resets the date, compare the official project data with what the addendum says.
Buying from the UK, US, Canada or Australia?
- UK: changed handover date, for UK buyers
- US: a step-by-step date check for US buyers
- Canada: completion date checklist for Canadian buyers
- Australia: date-change decision tree for Australian buyers
Where can I check the completion date in Dubai REST?
Does my developer have to tell me about a new completion date in Dubai?
Is an anticipated completion date extension in the SPA legal?
What if the broker promised a different handover date?
Related guides
Sources
- Dubai REST (Dubai Land Department)
- Project Status (Mashrooi) service guide (Dubai Land Department)
- Frequently asked questions (Dubai Land Department)
- Track an under-construction property on your phone (Gulf News, 2023)
- Off-plan property delays in UAE: know your legal rights as a buyer (Arabian Business)
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.