Check construction progress on off-plan Dubai property before each payment: a routine for US buyers

Treat each installment request as a checkpoint.

How to check construction progress off-plan in Dubai before payment, for US buyers

Open the project in Dubai REST, compare the completion percentage with the milestone in your payment plan, confirm the escrow account number, and only then wire.

1. Read the payment request

   Note the milestone it cites.

2. Open Project Status

   Completion %, dates, photos.

3. Compare with the SPA

   Does the milestone match?

4. Ask for proof if needed

   Consultant letter or auditor report.

5. Wire to escrow only

   Confirm the account number first.

Step 1: Read what the payment request is tied to

Your SPA (sale and purchase agreement) sets the payment plan; some installments follow dates, others milestones. Note which milestone this request relies on.

Step 2: Check the Dubai REST project status and completion percentage from the US

The DLD's Dubai REST page says off-plan investors can see project details including the completion percentage, actual project photos and the escrow account number. The DLD's guide to Project Status (Mashrooi) adds developer details and inspection details.

Gulf News reported in 2023 that the app also shows the projected completion date, the last inspection date with a report, and whether the project is active, finished or canceled.

Step 3: Compare the figures with your contract

If the request says a milestone is reached, the completion percentage should support it. The DLD FAQ says payments follow completion rates. Payment plans are set by each SPA, so read your own clause.

Completion also matters if you stop paying. Under Article 11 of Law No. 13 of 2008, as amended by Law No. 19 of 2020, the share a Dubai developer may keep after a buyer default depends on the whole project's completion.

If construction has not started for reasons outside the developer's control, or RERA cancels the project, the same article requires a full refund. If the numbers and the request disagree, see our dispute route map.

Step 4: Ask for written proof when the numbers do not match

The DLD FAQ says an investor can ask for a letter from the DLD-approved project consultant confirming the current completion percentage before paying a developer's request. For a fully independent figure, RERA's technical auditor will produce a completion report for AED 15,000 per unit, about $4,084 at the AED 3.6725 peg.

Check the date on the figure you are shown. The DLD FAQ says RERA periodically asks developers to update the completion rate and expected completion date, and charges a technical report fee where the report is more than three months old.

Step 5: Wire only to the project escrow account

The DLD FAQ says all amounts received from off-plan buyers go into the project escrow account. Confirm the number in Dubai REST against the invoice; our escrow verification playbook explains how.

Plan the timing. Dubai is 8 hours ahead of New York and 11 ahead of Los Angeles until November 1, 2026, then 9 and 12, so ask your questions in the evening and wire after the reply. If money already went elsewhere, read paid outside escrow. For the wider picture, see the global guide to construction checks and the overview for American buyers, or check the project's registry facts now.

Before the next installment: questions from American buyers

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.