Dubai off-plan
Payment plans, explained with the projects that offer them
An off-plan payment plan is written as two numbers: the share of the price you pay before handover, then the share at or after it. The first number is your construction-phase cash flow; the second is what your mortgage or savings must cover when the keys arrive.
813 projects in our index publish a headline plan; 284 list the plan as on request. 878 listings add that post-handover terms may be available if you ask.
Plan types
The structures you will see
60/40
180 projects
60% is paid between booking and completion and 40% at handover. This plan is balanced towards construction: you fund the build in milestones and settle the rest when the keys are ready.
From AED 490K – AED 89.2M
Projects and cash-flow detail50/50
136 projects
50% is paid between booking and completion and 50% at handover. This plan is an even split: half through construction, half when the unit is handed over.
From AED 127K – AED 65M
Projects and cash-flow detail80/20
122 projects
80% is paid between booking and completion and 20% at handover. This plan is front-loaded: most of the money goes in during construction, so the handover payment is small.
From AED 540K – AED 30.7M
Projects and cash-flow detail70/30
101 projects
70% is paid between booking and completion and 30% at handover. This plan is balanced towards construction: you fund the build in milestones and settle the rest when the keys are ready.
From AED 300K – AED 79.98M
Projects and cash-flow detail40/60
51 projects
40% is paid between booking and completion and 60% at handover. This plan is back-loaded: a smaller share during construction and the larger part at handover, often with a mortgage on completion.
From AED 620K – AED 18.5M
Projects and cash-flow detail90/10
33 projects
90% is paid between booking and completion and 10% at handover. This plan is front-loaded: most of the money goes in during construction, so the handover payment is small.
From AED 699K – AED 15M
Projects and cash-flow detailPost-handover
no projects yet
Part of the price is paid in instalments after you receive the keys, usually over one to five years, so rent can help cover the final tranche.
No project publishes post-handover as its headline plan right now, but 878 listings say such terms may be available on request. Ask the advisor for the current offers.
1% monthly
no projects yet
A small booking deposit followed by 1% of the price every month, typically for 60 to 80 months, with the balance at or after handover.
No project in the index currently publishes a 1% monthly schedule as its headline plan. When one does, it appears here automatically.
Non-standard
107 projects
Plans the developer publishes as a single figure or an unusual structure. The project page shows the schedule exactly as released.
Includes plans published as a single figure, such as the booking percentage alone.
From AED 500K – AED 17.5M
Projects and cash-flow detail
Less common
Other published splits
Structures that at least 3 projects publish. Two-number splits read the same way: before handover, then at handover. Labels that do not add up to 100 are developer shorthand and need the project's own schedule.
A further 10 projects publish splits too rare to page separately; they are filterable on the projects index.
FAQ
Payment plan questions
What does a 60/40 payment plan mean?
60% of the price is paid between booking and completion, in instalments linked to construction milestones, and the remaining 40% is paid when the unit is handed over. The first number is always the share paid before handover.
What is a post-handover payment plan?
A plan where part of the price, often 20% to 50%, is paid in instalments after you receive the keys, typically over one to five years. The unit can be rented out during that period, so rent offsets the instalments. Developers usually price post-handover units a little higher than the same stock on a standard plan.
Is the booking deposit part of the price?
Yes. The booking payment, usually 5% to 20%, is the first instalment of the plan, not a fee. The 4% DLD registration fee and the Oqood fee are separate and paid on top.
Can I resell before the plan is fully paid?
Usually, but most developers require a minimum percentage paid, commonly 30% to 40%, before they issue the no-objection certificate a resale needs. The exact threshold is in the sales agreement.
What happens if the project is delayed?
Milestone-linked instalments only fall due as construction progresses, so a delay stretches the schedule rather than accelerating it. Calendar-linked instalments keep their dates regardless. Payments go into a DLD-regulated escrow account released against certified construction progress.
Talk to the advisor
Which plan fits your cash flow?
Send your budget, how much you can put in during construction and when you need the keys. We reply with the projects whose schedules actually fit, not the headline split.