DLD Project Status: How to Check Your Off-Plan Project Online

If you bought an off-plan unit in Dubai, the construction site is rarely the best source of truth on progress. The Dubai Land Department (DLD) maintains a live project status register that shows the official completion percentage, the latest escrow movement, and any RERA actions on your project. Every figure on the register comes from independent engineering audits filed by the developer's RERA-approved consultant.

This guide shows you exactly how to check DLD project status in three minutes. You will learn how to read the register, what each completion status code means, what to do if your project shows red flags, and how to track milestone payments inside the Dubai REST app.

• Every off-plan project in Dubai is registered with DLD and audited quarterly by an independent engineering consultant. Completion percentages on the register are not developer self-reporting.
• The fastest way to check project status is through the Dubai REST app under Services then Project Status. The free version shows completion percentage, project status code, and escrow balance.
• Status codes range from Active (under construction on schedule) to Cancelled (refunds in progress). Yellow flags include Behind Schedule and Under Investigation.
• If your project shows Cancelled, you are entitled to a refund from the escrow account. Refund processing typically takes 60 to 90 days from the cancellation order.
• Buyers should run a project status check before every milestone payment, not just at signing.

Off-plan in Dubai is a milestone-payment market. Most buyers pay 20% to 30% during construction in three to five tranches, with the balance due at handover. Each milestone is your chance to verify that the project is still on track before you wire the next installment.

The risk is not theft. The escrow regime introduced under Law No. 8 of 2007 means your funds sit in a RERA-supervised bank account, not in the developer's pocket. The risk is delay. A project that drifts from a 2027 handover to a 2030 handover ties up your capital, suspends rental income, and can trigger refinancing challenges if you used a mortgage to fund installments.

Checking DLD project status before every payment gives you three pieces of information: whether construction is progressing as filed, whether the developer has missed any RERA reporting deadlines, and whether the escrow trustee has flagged any issues. All three are public information.

The Dubai REST app is the official mobile platform for DLD services. It is free, available on iOS and Android, and supports both Arabic and English. You need a UAE Pass account to log in. UAE Pass registration takes 10 minutes and works for any nationality with an Emirates ID.

Step 1: Download Dubai REST. Search for Dubai REST on the App Store or Google Play. The app is published by the Dubai Land Department and shows the DLD logo.

Step 2: Log in with UAE Pass. Tap Login and choose UAE Pass. Authenticate with your fingerprint or facial recognition.

Step 3: Open Services. From the home tab, tap Services. Scroll to Project Status or use the search bar.

Step 4: Enter the project name or developer. The search engine accepts partial matches. Typing Sobha returns every Sobha project. Typing the project name directly is faster.

Step 5: Read the project card. The card shows the developer, the project address, the registered launch date, the expected handover date, the latest completion percentage, and the project status code.

If you own a unit in the project, tap My Properties and select the unit to see your individual payment history, your Oqood number, and your share of the escrow balance.

DLD uses a small set of project status codes. Each code reflects a specific regulatory stance on the project. Knowing the codes lets you read the register quickly and accurately.

Active. The project is registered, the escrow account is open, and construction is progressing on schedule. This is the standard status for healthy projects.

Active Behind Schedule. The project is still legal and the escrow is intact, but construction has slipped behind the milestone calendar by more than 60 days. RERA monitors monthly. If the slippage exceeds 365 days, RERA can intervene.

Under Investigation. RERA has opened a file on the project, usually following multiple buyer complaints or a missed milestone. Payments to the escrow continue, but RERA freezes any disbursement to the developer until the investigation closes.

Suspended. Construction is on hold. The developer must submit a remediation plan within 90 days. Buyers can choose to wait or, in some cases, request an early refund.

Cancelled. RERA has formally cancelled the project. The escrow is frozen pending audit. Buyers receive refunds in proportion to their paid-in capital, typically within 60 to 90 days of the cancellation order.

Completed. Handover has started. New title deeds are being issued. The escrow is closed at the rate the final units transfer.

Closed. All units have transferred. The project file is archived. The escrow account is closed.

The completion percentage on the DLD register is calculated by an independent RERA-approved engineering consultant. It is filed quarterly. The figure reflects physical works completed, not money spent or units sold.

A typical Dubai mid-rise apartment building progresses through five engineering stages: site preparation and foundation (20% of total), structure and slab (35%), facade and external works (15%), MEP and finishing (20%), and final inspections (10%).

Cross-check the completion percentage against the milestone payments listed in your SPA. If your SPA milestone is 30% paid at structure complete (cumulative 55% of physical works), and the DLD register shows 35% complete, the developer is asking for the milestone before reaching the contractual trigger. You are entitled to refuse payment until the percentage is reached.

If the developer files a higher completion percentage than the building visibly shows, that is grounds for a complaint to RERA. RERA can order a re-inspection, which the developer pays for if the original filing is found to be inflated.

Premium Dubai REST features include the live escrow balance. You see the project's total escrow inflow, the cumulative releases to the developer, and the residual balance. Buyer-specific screens show your share calculated from your paid-in capital divided by the total project payments.

The metric to watch is escrow release versus completion percentage. If 60% of the escrow has been released to the developer but the project is only 30% physically complete, that is a major red flag. The escrow trustee is supposed to release funds in proportion to verified construction stages.

Mismatches usually appear in three scenarios: the developer has obtained an advance against future milestones (legal but increases buyer risk), the trustee has released funds in error (rare but recoverable), or the project is being run loosely with weak engineering supervision (file a complaint).

Source: RERA escrow framework under Law No. 8 of 2007. See the Dubai Land Department Guide for the full regulatory background.

RERA cancelled six projects in 2024 with refunds totalling more than AED 380 million. If your project shows the Cancelled status code on Dubai REST, you do not have to do anything immediately. RERA opens the refund process automatically.

Step 1: RERA freezes the escrow. Disbursements to the developer stop. The trustee bank reconciles the balance.

Step 2: RERA appoints an auditor. The auditor calculates each buyer's refund share based on documented payments. Refunds run pro rata, not first-come first-served.

Step 3: Buyers are notified. You receive a SMS and email through your registered Dubai REST contact. The notification includes a link to upload your bank account details for the refund transfer.

Step 4: Refund is paid. Funds clear within 60 to 90 days of the cancellation order in most cases. Complex cases can take longer.

If you suspect a project is heading toward cancellation, you can pre-emptively file a complaint and request a hearing with RERA. RERA hearings on off-plan projects average 21 days from filing to outcome. Source: RERA 2024 cancellation register.

Project status checking is not just a post-purchase exercise. Run the same workflow before signing any off-plan SPA. The pre-purchase checklist below takes 10 minutes and surfaces most red flags.

• Search the project on Dubai REST. Confirm it is registered and the status code is Active.
• Verify the developer is RERA-licensed. Look up the developer name on the broker and developer register.
• Note the escrow account number from the SPA. Cross-check it against the official escrow on the project card.
• Read the milestone schedule. Confirm it matches the engineering stages on the register.
• Check the historical completion file. Projects with multiple Behind Schedule notes in the past three years carry higher delivery risk.

If the project does not appear on the register at all, do not sign. Either the developer has not yet filed the project (in which case you are signing pre-registration, an illegal status) or the project is unregistered (in which case the developer is operating outside the law). Either case fails the basic legality test for a Dubai off-plan purchase.

Download the Dubai REST app today, even if you have not yet bought a property. Run searches on three projects you are considering. Get familiar with the data. Understanding what you should see makes anomalies obvious.

If you already own an off-plan unit, set a reminder to run a status check before each milestone payment. Capture screenshots for your records. The documentation cost is zero. The protection is real.

If you want help reading the register on a project you are considering, our advisory team interprets DLD data daily. Browse the curated catalogue at /en/projects or contact us at /en/contact. We hold RERA BRN 1573501.

Past performance does not guarantee future returns. Off-plan investing involves construction risk, market risk, and liquidity risk. The DLD register reflects information filed with regulators and does not constitute a guarantee of project completion. Always seek independent legal advice before signing a Sale and Purchase Agreement.