Guide · updated 16.08.2026 · 9 min read · Lucent Legal team

How to Check a Developer's Escrow Account Before Buying Off-Plan in Dubai

Before you wire the first payment on an under-construction apartment, you want one thing confirmed: the money can't just vanish. In Dubai you don't take that on trust — you check it yourself in ten minutes, in the Dubai REST app or on the Dubai Land Department (DLD) website. This checklist covers why escrow exists, how to verify the project and developer, what should scare you off, and what to do if money already left the escrow account.

Why an escrow account matters

An escrow account keeps your money out of the developer's hands until construction earns it. The account is tied to one specific project and controlled by an independent bank acting as escrow agent (trustee), not by the developer. Your payments land there instead of in the developer's general funds, and the bank releases them in tranches as the building actually goes up — under RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Agency) oversight.

The legal basis is Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, "Concerning Escrow Accounts for Real Estate Development." It requires a dedicated escrow account for each project at an authorized bank, and bars spending buyers' money on anything but that one project. RERA inspects projects and watches that funds go where they should and timelines hold.

Violations carry financial fines (which climb on repeat offenses), suspension of the developer's right to withdraw from the account, and, in serious cases, revocation of the license. There's no single public fee table, so confirm exact figures for your project with a lawyer.

Want to know what happens to the escrow account when a handover deadline slips? That's covered separately — see off-plan handover delays.

Step 1: Check project status and the escrow account via Dubai REST / DLD

Start with DLD's free "Real Estate Project Status" service, called Mashrooi in the app. You reach it two ways: the official dubailand.gov.ae website (e-services section) or the Dubai REST app (Android/iOS), from the home screen or the services menu.

1. Open the service. On the DLD website, look for "Real Estate Project Status"; in the Dubai REST app, it's "Check Project Status" (Mashrooi) on the home screen or in the services menu.
2. Enter the project name or number. Search works by project name or number; you can also filter by status and developer.
3. Open the project card. It shows the developer and their contacts, the start date and planned handover date, completion percentage, unit count, and a separate "Escrow Account" block naming the bank agent and the project's account details.
4. Cross-check against what the developer told you. The bank name and escrow account number in your contract or payment plan must match what DLD shows. A different account, or no escrow account at all, is a reason to stop and ask a lawyer — not the sales team.

App wording and button names shift between versions, but the core flow holds: search project → project card → Escrow Account block.

Step 2: Check developer and broker registration via Trakheesi

Trakheesi is DLD's license register; use it to confirm the broker and, indirectly, the developer. The system covers everyone in the market — developers, brokers, offices, and listing permits.

1. Open Dubai REST or DLD's "Validate Real Estate Licenses and Permits" service — both run on Trakheesi data.
2. For a broker, find their BRN (broker registration number, printed on their business card) and check that the status reads "Active," the name and firm match, and the license is current.
3. For a listing, cross-check the Trakheesi permit number shown in the ad on Bayut, Property Finder, or Dubai REST.
4. For a developer, registration shows up indirectly: if their project appears in "Real Estate Project Status" (Step 1), they're registered — unregistered developers never appear there.

Broker licenses renew every year, so repeat this check before each payment installment. A month-old screenshot of an "Active" status proves nothing.

Red flags: when to stop

• A request to pay into a manager's personal account, another company's account, or an offshore account "for speed" or "while the escrow account is being set up." That directly breaches Law No. 8/2007, and money outside escrow gets no RERA protection at all.
• A "discount" for paying outside escrow — the same violation, politely repackaged. The bigger the discount, the louder the alarm.
• The project doesn't appear in DLD's Project Status service under the name the developer gave you, or it shows a different number or a different developer.
• A broker's BRN in Trakheesi reads "Not Found" or "Expired."
• The developer won't name the bank and escrow account number, or keeps dodging a direct question about it.
• The contract (SPA) doesn't match DLD's records — a different account number, a different bank, different dates.

If money has already gone outside escrow

If a payment already went to a personal or third-party account instead of the escrow account, checking things yourself won't undo it — from here it's a complaint and, potentially, an investigation.

1. Gather evidence: payment orders, correspondence, the recipient's account number, and any promise of a "discount for direct payment."
2. File a complaint with RERA/DLD against the developer. The regulator can investigate the breach of Law No. 8/2007 and impose sanctions up to suspending account rights and revoking the license.
3. If there are signs of deliberate fraud (a fake project, a developer who vanished, forged documents), this stops being a regulatory matter and becomes potential criminal fraud — for where and how to report it, see reporting fraud in the UAE.
4. Don't expect a fast, guaranteed refund. Neither a RERA complaint nor a police report guarantees your money back, especially once funds have left the UAE. A lawyer can size up the real odds and timeline for your situation.

Topic: Buying Property in Dubai 2026

This material is for information only and is not legal advice. UAE law changes — a lawyer will assess how it applies to your situation.