Quick Answer
A Dubai off-plan payment plan splits the price into a booking deposit, instalments while the building is under construction, and a final payment at handover. The numbers describe the split: an 80/20 plan means 80% is paid before completion and 20% at handover. Post-handover plans continue instalments after you receive the keys.
Payment plans are one of the main reasons buyers choose off-plan property in Dubai: instead of paying the full price up front, you pay in stages over the construction period. But plans that look similar can work very differently in practice. This guide explains how to read a plan, the common structures, and what to check before you commit.
How to read a payment plan
Plans are usually written as two numbers, such as 80/20 or 60/40.
- The first number is the share of the price you pay before the building is completed, including the booking deposit.
- The second number is the share you pay on completion and handover.
So in an 80/20 plan you pay 80% during construction and 20% at handover, while in a 60/40 plan the balance at handover is bigger. A post-handover plan continues after you receive the keys, for example 60% before completion and 40% in instalments over the following years.
The split tells you how much you pay and when, not how fast. Two 80/20 plans can have very different schedules.
Common payment plan structures
| Structure | How it works | Suits buyers who |
|---|---|---|
| Construction-linked (for example 80/20 or 70/30) | Most of the price is paid in stages as construction progresses | Can pay steadily over the build period |
| Larger balance at handover (for example 60/40 or 50/50) | Less is paid during construction and more at completion | Want to keep cash free now and may finance the balance later |
| Post-handover | Some instalments are due after you receive the keys | Want the lowest payments before completion |
| Time-based monthly plans | Fixed percentages due every month or quarter | Prefer a predictable calendar |
Time-based vs construction-linked instalments
- Time-based instalments fall due on fixed dates, such as a set number of months after booking, whatever the state of construction.
- Construction-linked instalments fall due when the building reaches certified stages, such as 40% or 60% complete. If construction slows, these payments move later too.
Construction-linked schedules tie your money more closely to progress. Before paying a construction-linked instalment, the DLD notes that buyers can ask for confirmation of the completion percentage through the project consultant.
Real examples from current projects
These plans are taken from the developers' published schedules for projects on this site. Always confirm the current plan for your unit before booking, as plans change between releases and promotions.
| Project | Published plan | How it breaks down |
|---|---|---|
| Golf Trails, Emaar South | 80/20 | Five 10% instalments, then 10% each at 40%, 60% and 80% construction, and 20% on completion and handover |
| DAMAC Islands 2, Dubailand | 20% / 55% / 25% | 20% on booking, 55% during construction, 25% on handover |
| Divine Al Barari, Majan | 40/60 | 10% on booking, 10% after one month, then 5% every six months to month 24, and 60% on handover |
Golf Trails mixes the two approaches: its first half is time-based and the rest follows construction milestones. Divine Al Barari's 40% is entirely time-based, with the larger share due at handover.
What an 80/20 plan means for your cash flow
For a property priced at AED 1,000,000, before fees:
| Plan | Paid before completion | Due at handover |
|---|---|---|
| 80/20 | AED 800,000 | AED 200,000 |
| 60/40 | AED 600,000 | AED 400,000 |
| 50/50 | AED 500,000 | AED 500,000 |
A larger handover payment keeps more money free during construction, but you need to be sure you can pay it, from savings or a mortgage, when the building is completed. Remember that the 4% DLD registration fee is usually payable near the start, on top of the booking deposit. See our guide to off-plan fees.
Post-handover payment plans
With a post-handover plan, part of the price is paid after you move in or start renting the property out. This lowers what you pay before completion, but:
- you are committing to payments after handover, alongside service charges and other running costs;
- longer plans can come with a higher price for the same unit, so compare the total cost, not just the monthly amount;
- developers may restrict resale until a certain share of the price has been paid.
What to check before you commit
- The total due before completion, including the booking deposit and DLD fee.
- Which instalments are time-based and which are construction-linked, and the exact trigger for each.
- What happens if construction is delayed: time-based instalments may fall due regardless.
- What happens if you miss a payment: the SPA and Dubai's interim register law (Law No. 13 of 2008, as amended) set out the developer's rights if a buyer defaults, so read the default clause.
- How you will pay the handover balance, and whether a bank is likely to finance it.
- Resale conditions, such as a minimum percentage paid before a no-objection certificate is issued.
Paying safely
Make every payment to the project's escrow account, or through a channel the developer confirms leads to it, and keep the receipts. You can check a project's escrow account number through the DLD's project services. Our step-by-step buying guide explains the checks to make before your first payment.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Fees and regulations can change; confirm current requirements with the Dubai Land Department and your developer before you commit.
