Buying guide
What you pay on top of an off-plan price in Dubai
The price on a developer's page is not the whole cheque. These are the fees we have found in the Dubai Land Department's schedule and in the developers' own quotes, each with its source and the date we reviewed it.
Sources reviewed 4 October 2026
The fees, one by one
| Fee | Amount | Who pays, as published | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registration of the sale (DLD) | 4% of the price | DLD's default is 2% seller and 2% buyer, unless the parties agree a different split. Emaar's unit quotes show the buyer the full 4%; DAMAC's Tower C plan for Chelsea Residences includes the 4% in its 9% booking payment. The sale contract decides. | Dubai Land Department, initial sale registration; Emaar unit quote; DAMAC availability list of 1 Oct 2026 | Official schedule |
| Oqood amount (Emaar) | AED 3,000 | A charge labelled "Oqood Amount" on Emaar's public unit quotes. It is Emaar's quoted charge, not a published DLD tariff; its breakdown and VAT treatment are not shown. | Emaar unit quote | Developer-published |
| Developer self-registration | AED 1,000 | A developer's fee in DLD's schedule. It is not on Emaar's buyer quote, so we do not add it to yours. | Dubai Land Department fee schedule | Official schedule |
| Knowledge and innovation fees | AED 10 + AED 10 | In DLD's schedule. Whether they are part of the Oqood amount is not stated. | Dubai Land Department fee schedule | Awaiting confirmation |
Official schedule means the figure is in the Dubai Land Department's published schedule; Developer-published means the developer prints it; Awaiting confirmation means we could not tell from the documents how it applies to a buyer. We set out in writing the fees confirmed for a unit, and name the fees, payment dates and tax details that are still open. Ask for any brokerage fee in writing too.
Two worked examples
The cash due early in the purchase, from the payment plans on our project pages.
- Dubai Creek Harbour
Creek Haven at AED 1,860,000: the 1st instalment of 10% (AED 186,000), the 4% DLD fee (AED 74,400) and Emaar's Oqood charge (AED 3,000) come to at least AED 263,400. That covers these three items only; when each is due is set in the sale contract, and the dates of the 2nd and later instalments are not published.
- Chelsea Residences by DAMAC
Chelsea Residences at AED 2,560,000: AED 614,400 within three months on DAMAC's plan printed under Tower C: 9% on booking (with the 4% DLD fee inside it), 10% within one month and 5% within three months. Other fees are not included; DAMAC's list does not print them.
What this guide does not cover yet
- Service charges. They are set per building; for buildings still under construction the developer's figures are estimates. Your adviser asks for the figure for your unit.
- Mortgage costs, if you finance part of the price.
- Resale purchases, where different fees apply. This guide is about buying from the developer.
Questions
Before you commit
Does the buyer pay the 4% Dubai Land Department fee?
The Dubai Land Department's fee for registering an initial sale is 4% of the price, by default 2% for the seller and 2% for the buyer unless the parties agree a different split. In practice developers often pass the whole 4% to the buyer: Emaar's public unit quotes show the full 4%, and DAMAC's Tower C plan for Chelsea Residences includes it in the booking payment. The sale contract decides, so ask for it in writing.
What is the Oqood amount?
Oqood is the Dubai Land Department's system for registering off-plan sales. Emaar's public unit quotes show a charge labelled "Oqood Amount" of AED 3,000 on top of the 4% fee. It is Emaar's quoted charge, not a fixed DLD tariff, and Emaar does not show its breakdown or VAT treatment.
Is the starting price on a developer's page the price I will pay?
Not necessarily. On 4 October 2026 Emaar's page showed Creek Haven from AED 1.86M while the cheapest unit in its public catalogue was AED 2,722,888. A published starting price is the developer's advertised entry price; it does not confirm an available unit at that amount today. We check the listed units and their current prices at your budget.
Where these figures come from
- Dubai Land Department: service "Request to register the initial sale" (2% seller, 2% purchaser, AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees, AED 1,000 developer self-registration), read 4 October 2026.
- Emaar: public unit quotes on emaar.com for Dubai Creek Harbour units, reviewed 4 October 2026.
- DAMAC: Chelsea Residences availability list of 1 October 2026 and Tower C payment plan of 8 July 2026, reviewed 2 October 2026.
These are guide figures, not an inventory quote. The current release, unit, price, fees and availability are confirmed in writing before any introduction. Nothing on this page is legal, tax or financial advice, and no yield or capital growth is promised; past market data does not predict your return.
Your shortlist
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- Tell us your budget and bedrooms. It takes under a minute.
- We check with the developers. Which units are available now within your budget, across the projects that fit.
- A written shortlist or availability update within one business day. If nothing matches, we say so and ask whether you would like alternatives.
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Who answers. NOWAD Real Estate, Office 1143, Al Quoz First, Dubai, by WhatsApp, phone or email as you choose. Before you commit, ask us to confirm every fee in writing, including any brokerage fee.