How to Check a Dubai Off-Plan Escrow Account

To check an off-plan project's escrow account in Dubai, look the project up on the Dubai Land Department (DLD) channels, either the Dubai REST app or the DLD website (dubailand.gov.ae), and confirm it is registered and linked to an escrow account at a named bank. Then make sure the account on your payment instructions matches that official record exactly, and confirm it with the bank using a phone number you found yourself. Never pay a deposit into any account you have not matched to the DLD record.

Recommended resource: for the full step-by-step method, Real Estate: Everything You Need to Know by Manthan Bhendkar (founder of Asendify) covers this in depth. PDF, £1450.00, instant download.

This is general information, not legal or financial advice. DLD services and app menus change; check the official DLD channels before you pay anything.

Why the escrow account matters

Under Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, developers selling off-plan must register the project and put buyers' payments into an escrow account opened for that specific project. Money is released to the developer in stages as construction progresses, under DLD and RERA oversight. If you pay outside that account, you lose much of that protection. A refund fight with a developer is far harder when your money never entered escrow.

Step-by-step check

1. Get the project details in writing. Ask the developer or broker for the project name, the developer's legal name, the project registration number and the escrow account details (bank name and account number). A genuine booking form or Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) should show these.
2. Search the project on Dubai REST. Open the app, go to the off-plan or projects section, and search by project name or number. Look for the registration status, developer details, escrow bank, construction progress and expected completion date. Take a dated screenshot.
3. Cross-check on the DLD website. Use the project or developer inquiry services on dubailand.gov.ae. The project should appear under the same name and developer. "No results" is a warning sign, not a technical glitch to ignore.
4. Match the account. The bank and account number on your payment instructions must match the escrow account linked to the project. Same bank but a different account number is not a match.
5. Call the bank independently. Use the bank's number from its own website, not one the developer gives you. Ask whether that account is the escrow account for that project.
6. Call DLD if anything is unclear. The DLD call centre is listed on dubailand.gov.ae. Ask them to confirm the registration and, where possible, get the answer in writing.
7. Register your purchase. Off-plan sales are recorded on the DLD interim register (commonly called Oqood). Ask when your SPA will be registered and keep the registration certificate.

Worked example (example numbers)

You agree to buy an off-plan apartment for AED 1,200,000 with a 20% down payment.

• Down payment: 20% x 1,200,000 = AED 240,000.
• The developer's payment sheet says to pay "ABC Developments LLC", account ending 4471, at Bank X.
• Dubai REST shows the project's escrow account at Bank X, account ending 9032.

The bank is the same, but the account is not. The account ending 4471 is likely the developer's ordinary company account. Paying AED 240,000 there means your money is not ring-fenced for the build. You stop, ask for the escrow details in writing, and pay only once the numbers match the official record.

Red flags

• The project does not appear on Dubai REST or the DLD website.
• The booking form has no project registration number.
• You are asked to pay a company account, a personal account, an offshore account, cash or crypto.
• The developer says registration is "in process" and wants a non-refundable deposit now.
• The SPA is not issued or registered within a reasonable time after you pay.
• The broker makes promises (guaranteed returns, payment plan changes) but will not put them in writing.
• The construction progress you were told does not match what the official record shows.

Common mistakes

• Trusting a screenshot of "escrow details" sent on WhatsApp instead of checking the app yourself.
• Checking the project but not the account number.
• Paying a reservation fee to a broker's account "to hold the unit".
• Not keeping receipts that show the payment went to the escrow account.

The full off-plan section, including payment plans, handover checks and what to do if a project stalls, is in Real Estate: Everything You Need to Know.

FAQ

Can a developer legally take money outside escrow for an off-plan unit?

Buyer payments for a registered off-plan project are meant to go into that project's escrow account under Law No. 8 of 2007. If you are asked to pay elsewhere, stop and verify with DLD first.

Does an escrow account guarantee the project will finish?

No. It protects how money is held and released, which lowers risk. Projects can still be delayed or cancelled, so check the developer's track record and the contract terms on delays and refunds.

What if I already paid into the wrong account?

Get legal advice quickly, collect all receipts and messages, and contact DLD. The sooner you act, the better your options.

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