What Does Oqood Mean in an Off-Plan Property Purchase?

Oqood is the Dubai Land Department's interim real property register: when you buy an off-plan unit, the sale is recorded there under Law No. 13 of 2008 (as amended) and you receive an Oqood certificate. It proves that a registered developer has sold you a specific future unit and that your payment rights are on record with DLD, but it is not a title deed. The title deed is issued only after completion, handover and full payment.

What is Oqood in an off-plan property purchase?

The word "Oqood" (عقود) means "contracts" in Arabic. It refers to the DLD register in which every off-plan sale in Dubai must be recorded. Law No. 13 of 2008 created this interim register because an under-construction unit cannot yet have a title deed, so DLD records the contract instead.

Registration is mandatory and the developer files it. After you sign the Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA), DLD checks that the project and developer are registered and enters the unit in your name. You then receive an Oqood certificate, usually as a PDF from the developer or through your Dubai REST account.

What does the Oqood certificate prove, and what does it not?

An Oqood entry proves three things:

The developer is registered with DLD and the project has a registered number.
The specific unit (project, building, unit number, area) is sold to you and cannot be sold again without your consent.
The contract price and your identity are on record, the basis for any future dispute, assignment or refund.

It does not prove that construction is on schedule, that the developer is financially sound, or that the final area will match the SPA. Those are separate checks: escrow status, completion percentage on Dubai REST and the SPA clauses. Until the title deed is issued, what you hold is a registered contractual right, not ownership.

How much does Oqood registration cost?

The DLD registration fee at Oqood stage is 4% of the purchase price, the same rate as the transfer fee on a ready property. Developers typically add a small administrative charge for the registration; it varies by developer, so ask for it in writing before you book.

Many launches are marketed with "DLD fee waived" or "developer absorbs the 4%". Two points:

DLD does not waive the fee. The developer pays it on your behalf as a promotion, and the cost is factored into the pricing.
The promise must be written into the SPA or a signed addendum. A brochure line or a sales agent's message is not enough. If it is not in the contract, budget the full 4%.
DLD Oqood registration fee — Amount: 4% of price; Who pays: Buyer, unless the SPA says the developer absorbs it
Developer admin fee for registration — Amount: Developer-specific; Who pays: Buyer, confirm in writing
Knowledge and Innovation fees — Amount: AED 10 each; Who pays: Buyer
Later: title deed issuance at handover — Amount: AED 580; Who pays: Buyer

Figures reflect what was published as of September 2026 and can change; verify with the official source before you commit.

How do you check your Oqood on Dubai REST?

Verify the registration yourself:

Download the Dubai REST app (DLD's official app) and create an account with your Emirates ID or, for non-residents, passport details.
Open "My Properties"; a registered off-plan unit appears under your name with its Oqood number.
If nothing appears within a few weeks of signing the SPA, ask the developer for the registration date and certificate. A long unexplained delay is a red flag worth escalating to DLD.

While you are there, check the project's registered escrow account and completion status; pay only to that escrow account, never to a personal or operating account.

Oqood vs title deed vs SPA: what is the difference?

SPA (Sale and Purchase Agreement) — Issued by: Developer, signed by both parties; When: At purchase; What it establishes: The commercial and legal terms: price, payment plan, completion date, penalties, area, defects period
Oqood certificate — Issued by: DLD (interim register); When: After SPA, on developer's filing; What it establishes: The sale is officially registered in your name; the unit cannot be resold to another buyer
Title deed — Issued by: DLD (main register); When: After completion, handover and full payment; What it establishes: Full registered ownership of the completed unit and its share of the land

Keep all three: the SPA governs your rights against the developer, the Oqood proves the sale is on record, and the title deed is what you will eventually sell, mortgage or use for a residence-visa application.

Can you resell or assign an off-plan unit before handover?

Yes. Reselling before handover is an "assignment": you transfer your registered contract to a new buyer and DLD updates the interim register. The steps are:

Developer NOC: most developers require a minimum percentage of the price to have been paid, commonly 30–40%, but this is developer policy, not law. Check your SPA for the exact figure.
Assignment or admin fee: charged by the developer for the NOC and transfer; the amount is developer-specific.
Oqood transfer at DLD: the new buyer is registered in the interim register, pays 4% on the agreed resale price and receives a new Oqood certificate. The remaining SPA instalments pass to the new buyer.

If an early exit is possible, read the assignment clause before you sign; some developers block assignments until a later milestone or charge more for early exits.

What happens to Oqood at handover?

When the building receives its completion certificate and you settle the final instalment, the developer applies for the title deed. DLD closes the interim entry and issues the deed in the main register; you pay the AED 580 issuance fee and any handover charges set in the SPA. The Oqood certificate then only remains as part of your transaction history.

If you took a mortgage during construction, the lender's interest is noted on the title deed at this stage. CBUAE caps off-plan financing at 50% loan-to-value for all buyers, so plan the remaining 50% and the 4% fee as cash.

What Oqood means for off-plan buyers in practice

Protection against double sale: once your unit is on Oqood, the developer cannot sell it to a second buyer.
Defined default procedure: if you miss instalments, the developer cannot simply keep your money. Under Article 11 of Law 13 of 2008 (as amended by Law 19 of 2017), DLD first serves you a 30-day notice to cure. If you still do not pay, the developer's retention is capped by the completion stage: up to 40% of the unit value if the project is more than 80% complete or between 60% and 80%; up to 25% if less than 60% complete but work has started; and up to 30% of the amounts paid if work has not started for reasons beyond the developer's control. Any SPA clause with a higher retention is void.
Refund timing: the excess above the cap is refunded within one year of termination or 60 days from resale, whichever is earlier; in the "not started" case, within 60 days.

Off-plan buyer checklist

SPA states the price, payment schedule, RERA project number and escrow account name.
Any "developer pays the 4%" promise is written in the SPA or a signed addendum.
Unit appears under your name on Dubai REST with an Oqood number.
Assignment clause read: minimum paid %, fee, any timing restrictions.
Default and retention wording does not exceed the Article 11 caps.
SPA, Oqood certificate and payment receipts stored together.

When does this apply?

Oqood applies to off-plan sales by DLD-registered developers in Dubai. It does not apply to ready units (title deed transfer at a trustee office), to other emirates (which have their own registers) or to DIFC. If a seller offers an "off-plan unit" without a registered project number and escrow account, it cannot be registered on Oqood and you should not pay.

Bottom line

Oqood is the official proof that your off-plan purchase exists in DLD's records. Confirm it on Dubai REST, budget the 4% unless the SPA says otherwise, and understand the assignment and default rules before you commit. Once you know what the register does and does not guarantee, the next question is whether a specific project's payment plan and completion track record fit your goal.

Frequently asked questions

Is Oqood the same as a title deed?

No. Oqood is an entry in DLD's interim register recording the sale of an off-plan unit in your name. The title deed is the ownership certificate issued in the main register after completion, handover and full payment. Oqood protects your contractual rights during construction; the title deed proves ownership of the finished unit.

Who registers the off-plan sale on Oqood, the buyer or the developer?

The developer files the registration with DLD after the SPA is signed. The buyer's role is to pay the 4% registration fee unless the developer has agreed in writing to absorb it, and then to verify on the Dubai REST app that the unit appears under their name with an Oqood number. If it does not appear, ask the developer for the registration date.

Can a non-resident buyer be registered on Oqood?

Yes. Foreign buyers can purchase off-plan in designated freehold areas without a UAE residence visa, and DLD registers the unit in their name using passport details. Many developers accept digitally signed SPAs and a Dubai REST account can be created with a passport, so registration can be confirmed remotely.

How much must I have paid before I can assign my Oqood to another buyer?

There is no legal minimum. Each developer sets its own threshold in the SPA, commonly 30% to 40% of the price, and charges an assignment fee to issue the NOC. The new buyer then pays the 4% DLD registration fee on the resale price and receives a fresh Oqood certificate. Read the assignment clause before you book if an early exit is possible.

What happens to my Oqood if the developer does not complete the project?

Your registered entry remains the basis for your claim. Under Law 8 of 2007, your payments sit in a project-specific escrow account that the developer's creditors cannot attach, and the escrow agent must arrange completion or refund depositors if the project stalls. Check the project's escrow account and completion status on Dubai REST regularly.

Does Oqood registration mean the DLD fee is paid once only?

Not necessarily. The 4% is paid at Oqood registration, and no further 4% is due when the title deed is issued to the same buyer at handover, only the AED 580 issuance fee. If the unit is assigned before handover, the new buyer pays 4% on the resale price at the Oqood transfer. Confirm the fee treatment in your SPA.

Can I get a mortgage on an off-plan unit registered on Oqood?

Yes, some banks finance off-plan purchases from approved developers, but the Central Bank caps off-plan loans at 50% loan-to-value for all buyers. Banks usually release funds according to construction milestones and register their interest at handover. Pre-approval terms and which projects a bank will finance vary by lender, so confirm before relying on financing.

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Weighing an off-plan unit and want the registration, fee treatment and exit clauses checked against your goal before you book? The Laguna Life team starts from what you want to achieve and reviews the SPA and Oqood terms with you. Message us on WhatsApp at +971 56 100 0928 or via lagunalife.ae. Register your interest now.