When you buy off-plan in Dubai, no Title Deed exists yet because the unit is not built. The Oqood fills that gap. The developer registers the sale in the DLD Oqood system, and the buyer is entered in the official register as the holder of the reserved unit. The Oqood is therefore the legal proof of off-plan ownership until completion. At handover it is converted into a standard Title Deed.
It requires a registered project. The main developer needs a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the project name and off-plan sale, and all buyer payments flow into a RERA-supervised escrow account. RERA monitors construction progress on registered projects (source: Dubai Land Department).
For an international buyer the point is simple: without a recorded Oqood, the purchase does not exist for the authority. Before any down payment, confirm that the project is DLD-registered and the unit can be entered in the Oqood system.
See how an off-plan purchase with a vetted developer works on our off-plan property in Dubai page.
