Short answer
- Handover date changed, Dubai off-plan, from the UK? The official figure is the projected completion date in the Dubai Land Department's Dubai REST app, not a broker's message.
- RERA asks developers to update the expected completion date and completion rate from time to time, so the date in the app can move.
- Your SPA date and its extension clause (often up to 12 months) decide whether the new date is within the contract.
- Foreign investors log in to Dubai REST with UAE PASS or a title deed.
Handover date changed, Dubai off-plan, from the UK: where is the official date?
The projected completion date sits in the Dubai Land Department (DLD) project record. Reach it through Project Status (Mashrooi) in the Dubai REST app or the DLD website's project status search. According to Gulf News (August 2023), each project page shows:
- Construction start date and projected completion date
- Last inspection date, with a downloadable inspection report
- Site photos and a status label: active, finished or cancelled
- Project registration date
- Escrow account details, per the DLD's Mashrooi guide
How do I check completion date (Dubai REST, British buyers)?
British buyers need the app plus a login that works from abroad. Dubai REST is in the UK App Store, and its release notes limit foreign investors to UAE PASS or title deed logins.
Set up UAE PASS as a visitor
UAE PASS offers a Visitor path: create an account, pick Visitor, then pick Passport. Without a title deed, this is in practice the route for most off-plan owners (our inference from the login options).
Open Project Status (Mashrooi)
Inside Services, choose Project Status (Mashrooi) and search by the project's name.
Capture the record
Screenshot the projected completion date, completion percentage and last inspection date, noting when you checked.
New completion date (Dubai, UK investors): why does the broker's differ?
Three dates usually exist, and only one comes from the regulator. A London expo pitch, your SPA (sale and purchase agreement) and the DLD record can all disagree.
| Source | What it is | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Broker or expo pitch | A spoken or marketing estimate | No contractual force unless written into the SPA |
| Your SPA | The anticipated completion date plus extension rights | Sets what the developer promised you |
| DLD record (Dubai REST) | Projected date RERA asks the developer to keep updated | The official current position |
The London Property Show in April 2026 featured several UAE developers. Under the DLD's ad-permit rules, exhibitions allow only preliminary reservations, not sales, so a date heard at a stand matters only if it is in the signed SPA.
…the developer promised a completion date of 2019.
Is the changed handover date allowed under my SPA?
It may well be. Many SPAs give the developer a right to extend the anticipated completion date, often by 12 months; Arabian Business, citing BSA, puts the range at 6 to 12 months depending on the contract.
Look for the extension clause, any force-majeure clause and any notice requirement. Dubai law does not set automatic compensation for late handover, so the contract wording carries most of the weight.
- Common SPA extension
- 6–12 months
- Varies by contract
- Source: Afridi & Angell; BSA
- Who updates the official date
- Developer, at RERA's request
- Source: DLD FAQ
- Independent RERA audit
- AED 15,000
- Per unit or villa
- Source: DLD FAQ
If the new date runs past what the SPA allows, read our UK guide on compensation for a late handover. For immediate first steps, see what to do when your project is delayed.
How should I timestamp my record from the UK?
Write down the time in both London and Dubai each time you check or send something. The UAE is on UTC+4 all year and never changes its clocks; the UK switches between GMT and BST.
Before your next instalment, the UK guide to checking construction progress explains the consultant's letter you can ask for.
See also the global guide, handover date changed in Dubai, the UK buyers' hub, or look up a project's registry facts on HomeProof.
Where is the new completion date for a Dubai off-plan project published?
The new completion date for a Dubai off-plan project appears in the Dubai Land Department's records, shown as the projected completion date in the Project Status (Mashrooi) service of the Dubai REST app. The DLD website also offers a project status search by plot number, project number or project name.
Can British buyers check the completion date in Dubai REST without a UAE address?
British buyers can download Dubai REST from the UK App Store, but the app limits foreign investors to UAE PASS or title deed logins. Off-plan owners rarely hold a title deed yet, so UAE PASS, which has a Visitor registration route using a passport, is usually needed.
Does a changed handover date mean the developer broke the contract?
A changed handover date does not by itself mean the developer broke the SPA. Many SPAs allow an extension of the anticipated completion date, often up to 12 months, and include force-majeure clauses. Whether the new date is a breach depends on that wording and, if disputed, on a court or arbitrator.
What counts more: the expo date or the SPA date?
The SPA date counts more than any date given at an expo or by a broker. Exhibitions in Dubai's ad-permit rules allow only preliminary reservations, not sales, and spoken estimates carry no contractual weight unless they were written into the signed sale and purchase agreement.
Related guides
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.