Oqood is the Dubai Land Department’s interim registration record, issued against off-plan property between contract signing and handover. It registers the buyer’s interest, records the SPA terms, and binds the developer to deliver. At handover, the Oqood-registered position is converted to a title deed; until then, it is the only registered evidence the buyer holds.
oqoods.ae is the dedicated Dubai reference on Oqood, maintained by Cendale Documents Clearing Services FZCO. The site covers what Oqood is, when and how it is issued, why its absence is a material risk, and how it converts to title deed at handover.
Oqood is the Arabic word for contract, and in Dubai property practice it refers specifically to the interim registration record maintained by the Dubai Land Department against an off-plan unit. When a buyer signs a Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) with a developer for an off-plan unit, the developer is required to register the SPA with DLD through the Oqood portal. That registration creates the Oqood — a record establishing the buyer’s interest in the unit, the agreed price, the payment plan, and the projected handover date.
Oqood is not a title deed. The title deed is issued only at handover, when the building is completed and the unit is delivered. In the interval between SPA signing and handover — which can run from one to four years or longer — Oqood is the buyer’s only registered evidence that they have an enforceable claim against the developer.
Oqood is recorded in the DLD system, assigned a unique reference number, and accessible to the buyer through DLD’s verification channels. It is the document that distinguishes a registered off-plan buyer from someone who has merely signed a contract.
An unregistered SPA is a private contract between buyer and developer. A registered SPA — that is, an SPA with an issued Oqood — is a position recognised by the Dubai property system. The distinction matters for several reasons.
First, dispute resolution. If the developer defaults — fails to deliver, delays beyond contractual tolerance, or attempts unilateral changes — the buyer’s recourse depends on registered status. RERA’s investor-protection mechanisms, the off-plan registration regime, and the courts treat Oqood-registered buyers as the primary protected class.
Second, resale. An off-plan unit can be resold (assigned) before handover only where Oqood is in place and the developer permits assignment. Without Oqood, the buyer has nothing to assign except a contractual claim, which most assignees will not accept.
Third, finance. Banks lending against off-plan units do so on the strength of the Oqood. Without registration, the property is not financeable as security.
Fourth, escrow. Off-plan payments under the Dubai escrow regime are tracked against Oqood. Payments to a developer for an unregistered unit are not protected by the escrow framework in the same way registered payments are.
Under DLD’s off-plan registration framework, the developer is required to register the SPA in the provisional register within 90 days of signing. The registration is submitted by the developer through the Oqood portal; the buyer pays 4% of the sale value plus AED 10 knowledge fee and AED 10 innovation fee, with additional title-deed and map fees applying at handover.
On registration, DLD issues the Oqood. The buyer receives a confirmation of registration with the Oqood reference number. The buyer can verify Oqood directly through DLD channels — the Dubai REST app, DLD’s online services, or a Trustee Office query.
Buyers should verify Oqood issuance well within the 90-day window. Absence of Oqood at or beyond 90 days is a material warning sign and warrants immediate enquiry to the developer and, if unresolved, to RERA.
An Oqood record at DLD captures: the buyer’s identity (name, nationality, identification details); the unit identification (project, building or tower, unit number, area); the SPA terms (purchase price, payment plan, projected handover date); the developer’s registered identity and project licence; and any conditions or modifications recorded at registration.
The Oqood reference number is used in all subsequent dealings with the unit — payments to the developer (which are tracked against Oqood under the escrow regime), assignment if resold before handover, and the eventual conversion to title deed.
Buyers can verify Oqood registration through several channels. The Dubai REST app — DLD’s official application — displays Oqood records linked to the buyer’s Emirates ID. DLD’s online services provide direct lookup against the Oqood reference number. A Trustee Office can run a verification query on the buyer’s behalf.
Verification confirms three things: that registration has occurred; that the recorded particulars (price, unit, payment plan) match the signed SPA; and that no encumbrances or third-party claims have been recorded against the unit. Discrepancies between the SPA and the Oqood record require immediate correction — they will surface at handover and can stop the title deed from issuing.
A small but material number of developers — typically smaller operators or projects with regulatory friction — delay Oqood lodgement past the prescribed 90-day window. Buyers should treat any delay past 90 days as a procedural matter requiring follow-up, and any delay past six months as a structural concern.
Initial recourse is direct enquiry to the developer’s customer-service or legal department. Where the developer is non-responsive or evasive, buyers can escalate to RERA, which holds the developer’s project registration and can compel compliance. Where the delay reflects developer financial distress, the matter requires intervention beyond Oqood follow-up and should be escalated to qualified counsel.
An off-plan unit can be resold between the SPA signing and handover, subject to two conditions: Oqood must be in place, and the developer must permit assignment under the SPA terms (most do, subject to a fee).
The resale process — sometimes called assignment, sometimes informally called “flipping” — involves the original buyer transferring their position to a new buyer. The new buyer assumes the remaining payment plan, the projected handover, and the full Oqood-registered position. The transfer is processed through DLD: a new Oqood is issued in the new buyer’s name, the developer collects an assignment fee, and the original buyer’s interest in the unit is extinguished.
Resale is the off-plan equivalent of a conveyance, and the documentation discipline is similar — clear identification, manager’s cheques for the assigned position and the assignment fee, developer NOC, and DLD lodgement.
At handover, the Oqood-registered position converts to a title deed. The mechanics: the developer notifies DLD that the unit is complete; the buyer pays any final SPA instalment; the developer issues the unit handover certificate; DLD issues the title deed to the buyer; the Oqood record is closed and replaced.
The conversion is contingent on the unit being delivered substantially in accordance with the SPA. Where the unit is not delivered to specification — material variance from the agreed plan, undelivered amenities, defective handover — the buyer has recourse to delay accepting handover and to dispute the variance. Title deed issuance can be paused while the dispute is resolved.
Buyers approaching handover should ensure: SPA payments are fully reconciled; the snag-list (defects identified at unit inspection) is recorded and signed off; developer NOC for any subsequent transfer or mortgage is queued; and the path from handover to first occupation (DEWA, Ejari if leasing, mortgage finalisation if financed) is sequenced.
Banks lending against off-plan units lend against the Oqood. Where the off-plan purchase is financed, the developer uses DLD’s “Request to register a sale associated with an initial mortgage” service through Oqood, which records both the provisional sale and the initial mortgage. The mortgage fee is 0.25% of the mortgage value.
At handover, the Oqood-charge converts to a title-deed-charge. The bank’s security position is preserved across the conversion — the lender does not lose security in the gap between Oqood and title deed.
Buyers financing off-plan should confirm with the lender that Oqood verification is in place before drawing down funds, and that the conversion mechanics at handover are pre-arranged with the bank’s mortgage operations team. Mismatched timing at handover — where the title deed issues before the bank’s charge registers — is a documentary risk that can be pre-empted with sequencing.
Off-plan transactions in Dubai — Oqood verification, assignment to a new buyer before handover, and Oqood-to-title-deed conversion at handover — are coordinated through conveyance.ae.
The developer is required to register the SPA in the provisional register within 90 days of signing. DLD’s processing time for the registration itself, once submitted via Oqood, is one business day. Beyond 90 days without registration, follow up with the developer; beyond six months, treat as a structural concern.
The buyer pays 4% of the sale value plus AED 10 knowledge fee and AED 10 innovation fee. A developer self-registration fee of AED 1,000 applies for the provisional sale registration via the Oqood portal. Some developers absorb part of the cost at marketing stage as a buyer incentive — this is recorded in the SPA.
Yes. Through the Dubai REST app linked to your Emirates ID, DLD’s online services using the Oqood reference number, or by query at a Trustee Office. Verification is free.
Discrepancies must be corrected before handover through the appropriate amendment workflow. Discrepancies in price, unit identification, or payment plan will surface at title-deed issuance and can stop the conversion. Raise corrections with the developer in writing as soon as they are identified.
Yes, subject to Oqood being in place and the developer permitting assignment. The resale is processed through DLD as a transfer of the Oqood-registered position to the new buyer.
No. Oqood is the interim registration for off-plan property, valid until handover. The title deed is the final ownership document, issued at handover when the unit is delivered.
The Oqood record is closed and replaced by a title deed. The conversion is processed by DLD on developer notification of completion and final SPA payment reconciliation.
Oqood records the registered position, which is the basis for protections under the off-plan regulatory regime and the escrow framework. Outcomes in developer insolvency depend on the project escrow status, the construction stage, and the regulatory response — Oqood is necessary but not on its own sufficient.
Yes. UAE banks lend against Oqood under DLD’s “sale associated with an initial mortgage” service, registering their charge against the Oqood record and converting it to a title-deed charge at handover. Lending appetite varies by developer, project, and construction stage.
Initial recourse is direct enquiry to the developer. If unresolved, escalate to RERA, which can compel registration. Where the failure to register reflects developer distress, the matter requires intervention beyond Oqood follow-up.
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oqoods.ae is an independent reference resource. It is not a government website. The information on this site is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice.
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Last reviewed: May 2026