Check construction progress on your Dubai off-plan project before each payment

Check construction progress on your off-plan unit in Dubai before payment of every installment: the percentage complete, the escrow account the money should go to, and the latest projected date. The routine takes minutes, and it uses official data rather than the developer's newsletter.

This guide sets out the routine, explains each data point and covers what to do when a payment request and the registry figures do not line up. It applies to Dubai only.

Key terms: Dubai REST is the Dubai Land Department's (DLD) official app. Mashrooi is its Project Status service. An escrow account is a bank account opened in the project's name to hold buyer payments. RERA is the DLD's regulatory arm.

How do you check construction progress off-plan in Dubai before payment?

Look up the project in Dubai REST, compare the completion percentage with your SPA's payment trigger, confirm the escrow account, and only then pay. The DLD website offers the same status lookup by plot number, project number or project name.

1. Open Project Status (Mashrooi)

   In the Dubai REST app, open Services, choose Project Status (Mashrooi) and search by project name. Foreign investors log in with UAE PASS or a title deed, per the app's version notes.

2. Read the completion percentage

   Note the percentage, the status label and the last inspection date. Take a dated screenshot.

3. Compare with the payment request

   Read the installment trigger in your SPA. If it is linked to a construction stage, check whether the official figures support the request.

4. Confirm the escrow account

   Match the account number on the payment request against the escrow account details shown in the app.

5. Pay and keep proof

   Pay only into the escrow account. Keep the bank confirmation with the screenshot from the same day.

Dubai REST project status: reading the completion percentage

Dubai REST shows the official status of a registered project, including how far it has progressed. The DLD guide to Mashrooi lists project details and status, developer details, escrow account details and inspection details.

Completion percentage

In Dubai REST

Source: DLD

Status labels

Active / finished / cancelled

Source: Gulf News 2023

Escrow account number

In Dubai REST

Source: DLD

Independent audit

AED 15,000

Per unit or villa

Source: DLD FAQ

Gulf News (August 2023) adds that the app shows the construction start date, projected completion date, last inspection date, a downloadable inspection report, site photos and the project registration date. Read the percentage together with the inspection date: a figure from an old inspection says less about today.

Should I pay the next installment on my off-plan unit?

That decision is yours and depends on your SPA, but check the facts first. The DLD FAQ says payments follow completion rates and that, before paying a developer's request, an investor can ask for a letter from the DLD-approved project consultant confirming the current completion percentage.

Payment plans are set by the SPA. Some installments are tied to dates, others to construction stages. Know which kind your next payment is before comparing it with the registry.

Stopping payments has consequences. Under Article 11 of Law No. 13 of 2008, as amended by Law No. 19 of 2020, a missed payment can lead to a DLD notice, a 30-day window and then termination, with the developer keeping up to 25% or 40% of the unit value depending on the whole project's completion. Read what happens after a missed off-plan payment and take legal advice before withholding anything.

Off-plan milestone payment check: what to compare

A milestone check lines up three things: what the SPA says triggers the payment, what the registry shows, and where the money is going. Mismatches in any of the three are worth a written question before paying.

Why does the escrow account matter at every payment?

In Dubai, off-plan buyer payments must go into the project's escrow account under Law No. 8 of 2007. In June 2024 the director of RERA's Real Estate Control Department urged investors not to make any payments outside the escrow account.

The escrow account is opened in the project's name and used only for that project, and its deposits cannot be seized by the developer's creditors (Article 9(1)). The DLD FAQ says withdrawals are generally limited to contractors, consultants and marketing, with marketing capped at 5% of total sales.

Escrow protects how your money is used; it does not guarantee that the project will be finished. Our guide to verifying the escrow account explains the check in detail.

What if progress looks stalled?

If the percentage has not moved across several inspections, act in writing. The DLD FAQ notes that where a project's completion does not exceed 5%, RERA monitors it, gives the developer time to correct, and starts cancellation if it does not.

If the projected date has moved, see what to do when the handover date changes, and for a wider delay, what to do when an off-plan project is delayed. Before your next transfer, check the project's official status and keep the record.

Buying from the UK, US, Canada or Australia?

• UK: pre-payment check questions for UK buyers
• US: a pre-payment playbook for US buyers
• Canada: pre-payment checklist for Canadian buyers
• Australia: pay-or-pause decision tree for Australian 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.