In Dubai, a developer who wants to sell units off-plan must first apply to the Land Department to open an escrow account for the project (Law No. 8 of 2007, Article 6). The account is held by a bank or financial institution the Land Department accredits (Article 2). The project register shows each project and its escrow bank, so you can check both before you pay.
1. Find the project and its DLD number
Search the project on this site. Its page shows the DLD project number and the date the register was read. Ask the developer or broker for the DLD project number too, and check they match.
2. Read its status
The register lists a status for every project. Active means it is registered and under development; Finished means the Land Department has marked it complete. The project page shows the status, the completion date, and the % built at DLD’s latest inspection.
3. See which bank holds the escrow account
Take Skyhills Astra by HRE, DLD project 3480. The register lists its escrow account at Sharjah Islamic Bank, a completion date of 30 Jun 2028, and 47.07% built at DLD’s inspection on 30 Jul 2026.
4. Pay only into that account
Your sale contract and payment schedule should name the project’s escrow account. Check the bank matches the one on the register before each payment, and ask the developer in writing if it doesn’t.
The banks that hold escrow accounts
Of the 1,450 active projects with a page here that list an escrow bank, by number of projects:
| Escrow bank | Active projects |
|---|---|
| Emirates Nbd Bank (P.J.S.C) | 298 |
| First Abu Dhabi Bank P.J.S.C. | 209 |
| Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank | 173 |
| Dubai Islamic Bank (Public Joint Stock Company) | 138 |
| Mashreq Bank Psc | 134 |
| Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank | 86 |
| Commercial Bank Of Dubai(Psc) | 80 |
| Emirates Islamic Bank P.J.S.C. | 75 |
| United Bank Limited (Management Office) | 62 |
| The National Bank Of Fujairah P S C | 41 |
DLD project register, read 13 Oct 2026.
