Verify the escrow account for off-plan Dubai property: a playbook for American buyers

Checking the account takes minutes; a wire to the wrong one can cost the whole payment. Run this routine before every transfer, not only the first.

How to verify an escrow account for off-plan Dubai property: American buyers

Look up the project in Dubai REST, note the escrow account details shown there, and match them character by character against the invoice before you wire. If anything differs, stop and ask the developer in writing.

1. Get UAE PASS access

   Visitor registration with your passport.

2. Open Project Status

   Search the project by name.

3. Copy the escrow details

   Bank and account number.

4. Match the invoice

   Every character, every time.

5. Wire and keep proof

   Save the confirmation.

Step 1: Set up Dubai REST access from the US

The Dubai REST app is the DLD's official platform for property transactions and market data, in Arabic and English, on iOS and Android. Its App Store notes say foreign investors log in with UAE PASS or a title deed. Off-plan buyers rarely hold a deed yet, so UAE PASS is the practical route (our reading).

Step 2: Find the escrow account number in Dubai REST

In the app, open Services, choose "Project Status (Mashrooi)" and search by project name. The DLD's guide says the service shows project and developer details, escrow account details and inspection details.

Accounts per project

One

Used only for that project

Source: Law No. 8 of 2007, Art. 9

Escrow agent

Licensed bank

UAE Central Bank licence, RERA-approved

Source: DLD FAQ

Marketing withdrawals

Capped at 5%

Of total sales

Source: DLD FAQ

Retention after completion

5%

Released one year after registration

Source: Art. 14

Step 3: Match the escrow account number against the invoice

Check the beneficiary bank, account name and number on the invoice against Dubai REST. The account should be in the project's name, not the developer's, a broker's or an individual's, because Article 7 says buyer payments go into an account opened in the project's name.

That reader bought outside Dubai, but the lesson carries over: confirm an escrow account exists before paying.

If the project is not in Dubai REST at all, that is a fact to stop on. The DLD's ad-permit rules say advertisers may not showcase off-plan properties that are not registered with the Escrow Account Department.

Step 4: Treat changed bank details as a red flag

If you receive an email saying the account has changed, do not act on it. Confirm through Dubai REST and a phone number you already trust. The SEC's Investor.gov lists requests to pay by "wire transfer abroad" and pressure to invest now among investment-fraud red flags.

Example: a hypothetical AED 75,000 invoice (about $20,422) shows a different account from Dubai REST. Pause and ask the developer in writing why.

Step 5: Wire, then keep the proof

Once the details match, wire and save the confirmation alongside a screenshot of the Dubai REST entry. Under Law No. 8 of 2007, Article 12, depositors may see their own accounting records and request copies.

If a payment already went elsewhere, follow paid outside escrow. Pair this check with the pre-payment construction routine. For background, see the global escrow guide, all guides for US buyers, or check a developer's registry facts.

Escrow checks: questions from US investors

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.