Buying property in the UAE as a foreigner: freehold areas and rules

Foreigners can buy property in the UAE, but only where each emirate allows it. In Dubai, non-UAE nationals may own freehold property in designated areas; in Abu Dhabi, they may own property in investment areas such as Yas, Saadiyat and Reem; for Sharjah, the UAE government portal describes long usufruct rights instead. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah each keep their own property register.

Key takeaways

• Each emirate decides where non-UAE nationals may own property; there is no single federal rule.
• In Dubai, foreigners may hold freehold, usufruct or a lease of up to 99 years in designated freehold areas.
• Abu Dhabi has allowed non-UAE nationals to own property in its investment areas since a 2019 amendment.
• For Sharjah, the UAE government portal describes a usufruct right of up to 100 years for foreign nationals, under a 2014 resolution.
• The Dubai Land Department charges 2% of the sale value to the buyer and 2% to the seller, plus fixed fees.

On this page 11 sections

Can foreigners own property in the UAE?

Yes, but there is no single federal rule. As the UAE government portal notes, the rules on ownership by expatriates differ from one emirate to another, and Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah each record property rights in their own register. In Dubai the right is open to foreigners whether or not they live in the UAE. The three emirates covered here compare as follows.

Freehold and the other ownership types

Freehold means owning the property itself, recorded on a title deed in the owner’s name. Usufruct, musataha and long leases are rights over a property that stays in someone else’s ownership, and they run for a fixed term.

Freehold

Ownership rights for foreigners in Dubai

Freehold, usufruct or leasehold up to 99 years

In Dubai, foreigners, whether or not they live in the UAE, may acquire freehold ownership, usufruct rights or leasehold rights of up to 99 years over property in the areas designated as freehold; the designated plots are set by Regulation No. 3 of 2006 on areas for ownership by non-nationals, title deeds are issued by the Dubai Land Department, and there is no age limit to own property in Dubai.

Dubai’s Law No. 7 of 2006 on real property registration lets non-UAE nationals hold freehold ownership without time restrictions in the areas the Ruler designates, and usufruct or lease rights for up to 99 years. A freehold owner holds the apartment, villa or plot itself, not a right that ends after a set number of years.

The right takes effect once DLD records it. Since a 2019 amendment, the law says dealings in real property are not effective unless entered in the Real Property Register, and DLD states that transactions not registered with it are invalid. That is why every sale, gift or transfer goes through DLD.

Usufruct, musataha and long leases

These rights let someone use a property owned by another person or body. The UAE government portal explains them through Abu Dhabi’s Law No. 19 of 2005, describing four forms in which expatriates could hold floors and apartments, but not land, before the 2019 amendment let them own property outright in investment areas:

Dubai’s freehold areas also offer usufruct and leasehold rights, and for Sharjah the UAE government portal describes usufruct as the form open to foreign nationals.

Dubai: freehold areas

Foreigners can own property in Dubai only in the areas the Ruler of Dubai has designated for ownership by non-nationals, known as freehold areas. Everywhere else in the emirate, ownership is reserved for UAE and GCC citizens and certain companies.

Where non-UAE citizens can own in Dubai

Designated (freehold) areas

In Dubai, non-UAE citizens may register property only in areas designated by the Ruler of Dubai under Law No. 7 of 2006 on real property registration; property there may also be registered to companies owned by non-citizens if the company is registered in a Dubai free zone or another emirate under the relevant agreements.

Who can buy where

DLD’s own answer to who may own property in Dubai splits buyers into two groups.

DLD’s documents call the rest of the emirate the old areas of Dubai, or non-freehold areas, and handle some land applications there through different channels from freehold projects.

How to check whether an area is freehold

DLD gives the authoritative answer for a specific plot or unit. The UAE government portal points to Article 3 of Regulation No. 3 of 2006 on areas for ownership by non-nationals for the plots designated as freehold, but that list has grown: DLD’s compilation of Dubai real estate legislation (issue year 2019) also contains a 2010 amending regulation and regulations and resolutions from 2011 to 2019 that add land to the areas. This guide does not reproduce a list or map of freehold areas, because only DLD’s current records settle the status of a plot.

In freehold areas, DLD also lists an electronic no-objection certificate from the developer, issued through the Dubai REST app, among the documents for registering a sale. Dubai Land Department’s official website lists its services, trustee offices and support channels.

Abu Dhabi: investment areas

Non-UAE nationals can own property in Abu Dhabi’s investment areas, a right the emirate added by amending its real estate law in 2019. Outside those areas, the law reserves ownership for UAE citizens and a few other named categories.

Foreign ownership in Abu Dhabi

Ownership in designated investment areas (9 named by u.ae)

Since an April 2019 amendment of Articles 3 and 4 of the Abu Dhabi real estate law, non-UAE nationals, natural or legal persons, may own and acquire all original and in-kind rights in real estate located within Abu Dhabi's investment areas; u.ae names nine areas: Yas Island, Saadiyat, Reem, Mariya, Lulu, Al Raha Beach, Sayh Al Sedairah, Al Reef and Masdar City.

The nine areas are the ones the UAE government portal lists on a page updated on 28 September 2026. Under the law, investment areas are designated by decision of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and ADREC issues title deeds, property ownership certificates and site plans in the emirate.

The amendment, Law No. 13 of 2019, also rewrote the rule on long-term rights. A holder of usufruct or musataha for more than 10 years can dispose of the right, including by mortgaging it, without the landowner’s consent, while the landowner needs the holder’s consent to mortgage the property, unless the parties agree otherwise. Abu Dhabi sets its own registration fees, which are not covered here.

Sharjah and the other emirates

For Sharjah, the UAE government portal describes a long usufruct right for foreign nationals in place of ownership, under a 2014 Executive Council resolution.

Foreign nationals' property rights in Sharjah

Usufruct up to 100 years (no ownership)

The UAE government portal states that, under Sharjah Executive Council Resolution No. 26 of 2014, foreign nationals and companies they own in the UAE do not have the right to own real estate in Sharjah but may hold a usufruct right of up to 100 years, registered with the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department, within areas set by the Government of Sharjah and after special approval from the Ruler of Sharjah.

The UAE government portal links the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department’s questions and answers on buying a usufruct right, and its list of property brokers in Sharjah. That department registers usufruct rights in the emirate, and the portal directs further questions to it.

The UAE government portal notes that the rules on property ownership by expatriates differ from one emirate to another. This guide does not cover the rules in Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah; each emirate’s own land or real estate registration authority is the source for them.

How a purchase works in Dubai

A Dubai sale is complete when DLD registers it and issues a title deed in the buyer’s name. DLD’s property sale registration service covers land, property and completed units. In outline, drawn from DLD’s service pages and FAQ, a sale goes through these stages.

1. Agree the sale. Buyer and seller, or their representatives under a valid power of attorney, agree the price and terms. A broker who handles the sale must be in the brokers registry and hold a broker card from the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), and the commission is what the parties agree. The UAE government portal links DLD’s list of licensed brokers.
2. Get the developer’s no-objection certificate. In a freehold area, DLD asks for the developer’s electronic NOC.
3. Settle any mortgage. If the seller still owes a bank or a developer, DLD’s service for selling a mortgaged property records the deal, takes manager’s cheques for the debt, any balance due to the seller and DLD’s fees, and completes the transfer once the mortgage release letter is submitted.
4. Register at a trustee office. The parties go to a Real Estate Registration Trustee office, or use the Dubai Now app, with an Emirates ID, or a valid passport for a non-resident foreigner. The trustee checks the documents, enters and audits the transaction and collects the fees.
5. Receive the title deed. DLD issues an electronic title deed and map in the buyer’s name.

Off-plan purchases follow a different route. Under Law No. 8 of 2007 on escrow accounts, amounts that buyers pay for units sold off-plan are deposited in the project’s escrow account, and DLD’s project status service shows a project’s completion percentage.

Fees on a Dubai purchase

DLD lists the fees on a Dubai sale on its sale registration service page; the other emirates set their own. Under Dubai’s Executive Council Resolution No. 30 of 2013 on DLD fees, the sale fee is shared equally between seller and buyer unless they agree otherwise.

DLD sale registration fee

2% seller + 2% buyer

Dubai Land Department charges a registration fee on a property sale of 2% of the sale value to the seller and 2% to the buyer, plus fixed fees (AED 250 title deed, AED 10 knowledge fee, AED 10 innovation fee, and map fees) and a registration trustee service fee of AED 4,000 + VAT (AED 2,000 + VAT if the sale value is under AED 500,000).

Worked example

Official fees on a AED 1,500,000 apartment in Dubai

The price is an illustration. DLD’s page does not say which party pays the fixed fees and the service partner (trustee office) fee, so the example assumes the buyer pays them.

1. Buyer’s registration fee: AED 1,500,000 × 2% = AED 30,000.
2. Title deed fee: AED 250.
3. Map fee for an apartment: AED 250.
4. Knowledge and innovation fees: AED 10 + AED 10 = AED 20.
5. Service partner (trustee office) fee: the price is AED 500,000 or more, so AED 4,000 plus 5% VAT of AED 200 = AED 4,200.
6. Total: AED 30,000 + AED 250 + AED 250 + AED 20 + AED 4,200 = AED 34,720, about 2.31% of the price.

The seller’s own 2% registration fee is another AED 30,000.

Official fees for the buyer in this example: AED 34,720, before broker, mortgage and other costs.

Other costs are not given here as figures: the broker’s commission, which the parties agree; the building’s service charges; and, for a buyer who borrows, the mortgage registration fee explained in DLD and mortgage registration fees (thecreditzone.ae). Residential property sold or let is generally exempt from VAT, except the first supply of a residential building within three years of its completion, which is zero-rated; commercial property is taxed at 5%. The details are in VAT on property and other supplies.

Mortgages for foreign buyers

A Dubai purchase can be financed with a mortgage, which DLD states is valid only once registered with it, and the borrower bears the cost of the mortgage contract unless the parties agree otherwise. Each lender sets its own terms for foreign buyers; they are covered in mortgages for expats (thecreditzone.ae) and mortgages for non-residents (thecreditzone.ae). Financing an off-plan unit, through a bank or a developer’s payment plan, is covered in off-plan mortgages (thecreditzone.ae).

Property and residence visas

Owning property can lead to UAE residence in two ways, each covered in its own guide.

• Golden Residency. Under ICP’s rules, property worth at least AED 2,000,000 in total, fully registered in the owner’s name, can qualify. The conditions, the other routes and the application steps are in golden visa requirements.
• Dubai residence for property owners. GDRFA Dubai can grant a residence permit without a sponsor to the foreign owner of a completed, habitable property that they fully own, if they earn at least AED 10,000 a month or show financial solvency. This permit is covered in investor visas and the green visa.

The wider topic is in the Investing and residency guides.