Short answer
- Australia investors can check construction progress on a Dubai off-plan project before payment of every instalment in the Dubai REST app's Project Status (Mashrooi) service, which shows project and developer details, escrow account details and inspection details.
- The DLD's Dubai REST page says off-plan investors can see the percentage of completion, project photos and the escrow account number.
- The DLD FAQ says payments follow completion rates, and an investor can ask for a letter from the DLD-approved project consultant confirming the current completion percentage. Your SPA still sets the schedule.
- RERA's technical auditor can produce a completion report for AED 15,000 per unit or villa (DLD FAQ).
- Payments go only to the project escrow account; the DLD has urged investors not to pay outside it.
Run the same short routine before each transfer, so a payment reminder becomes a decision you have checked, and keep your instalments and project facts together.
Start
Instalment request arrives
Decision
Milestone linked to completion?
- No, date-based
Decision
Escrow account matches?
- Yes
Outcome
Pay and keep the receipt
- No
Outcome
Stop and verify first
- Yes
- Yes
Decision
Dubai REST % meets it?
- YesContinue at: Escrow account matches?
- No or unclear
Ask for consultant letter
How do Australia investors check construction progress on Dubai off-plan before payment?
Australia investors check construction progress by opening Project Status (Mashrooi) in the Dubai REST app, reading the completion percentage and escrow details, and comparing both with the payment request. The check takes minutes and uses the Dubai Land Department's own data.
Dubai REST is the Dubai Land Department's official app for property transactions and market data. Mashrooi is its Project Status service: open Services, choose "Project Status (Mashrooi)", and search by project name. The DLD website offers the same status lookup by plot number, project number or project name.
- Completion data
- % complete
- Shown to off-plan investors in Dubai REST
- Escrow
- Account number
- Listed for the project
- Independent report
- AED 15,000
- RERA technical auditor, per unit or villa
- Stale report fee
- Over 3 months
- Developer pays if the technical report is older
Branch 1: the instalment is tied to a construction milestone
Some payment plans link instalments to stages of construction. Compare the milestone in your SPA with the completion percentage in Mashrooi. Example: a hypothetical plan asks for the next payment at 50% completion; if the app shows 35%, that gap is your question to the developer.
Branch 2: the figure does not match the request
If the app's percentage sits below the milestone, ask before you pay. The DLD FAQ says an investor can request a letter from the DLD-approved project consultant confirming the current completion percentage. If you want an independent figure, RERA's technical auditor charges AED 15,000 per unit or villa.
…stop paying the installment because the developer has stopped building?
Stopping payments has consequences under Dubai law, so read what happens after a missed instalment before deciding anything.
Branch 3: the instalment is purely date-based
Many SPAs fix instalments to calendar dates. The DLD's "payments follow completion rates" guidance does not override your SPA, so a date-based instalment may still fall due.
Gulf News (August 2023) reports that the app also shows the construction start date, projected completion date, last inspection date with a downloadable report, site photos and a status label of active, finished or cancelled. If the projected date has moved, see handover date changes for Australian buyers.
Branch 4: the escrow account does not match
This branch overrides the others. If the account in the payment request differs from the escrow account shown in Dubai REST, do not pay until it is resolved. The step-by-step check is in verifying a Dubai escrow account from Australia.
Should Australian buyers pay the next off-plan instalment? The view from home
Whether to pay is a decision under your SPA and Dubai law, but paying from Australia carries its own risks.
Before every transfer from Australia
The global pre-payment routine explains the same checks without the Australian banking context, and the Australia hub for Dubai off-plan problems links to every related guide.
FAQ
Where can buyers in Australia see Dubai REST project status and completion percentage?
Buyers in Australia can see project status and completion percentage in the Dubai REST app under Services, "Project Status (Mashrooi)". The DLD says it shows project and developer details, escrow account details, inspection details and the percentage of completion. Foreign investors log in with UAE PASS or title deed details, and UAE PASS has a Visitor path using a passport.
Should I pay the next off-plan instalment if construction looks behind?
An off-plan instalment that looks ahead of construction is worth querying before you pay. The DLD FAQ says payments follow completion rates and lets an investor ask for a letter from the DLD-approved project consultant confirming progress. Your SPA still sets the schedule, and missing a payment can start the default process under Article 11 of Law No. 13 of 2008, as amended by Law No. 19 of 2020, so get advice before withholding.
Does Australia's Scams Prevention Framework cover payments to a Dubai account?
Australia's Scams Prevention Framework should not be assumed to cover a payment to a Dubai account. The SPF is not a mandatory reimbursement scheme, key bank obligations start no earlier than 31 March 2027, and the available sources do not address international transfers to overseas recipients. Contact your bank immediately if a payment to the UAE looks wrong.
How much does an independent completion report cost in Dubai?
An independent completion report from RERA's technical auditor costs AED 15,000 per unit or villa, according to the Dubai Land Department's FAQ. It is an option when the completion percentage in Dubai REST and the developer's payment request do not line up and you want a figure from the regulator's side rather than the developer's.
Related guides
- GuideCheck construction progress on your Dubai off-plan project before each payment
- Country hubDubai off-plan problems for Australian buyers: every stage, every guide
- Australia guideHow Australian buyers can verify an escrow account for Dubai off-plan before transferring
- Australia guideMissed an off-plan payment in Dubai: what happens next for buyers in Australia
- Australia guideHandover date changed on your Dubai off-plan unit: a guide for Australian buyers
Sources
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.