Dubai Off-Plan Mortgage: Which Banks Lend and What It Costs

An off-plan mortgage in Dubai is possible, but the bank has to approve two things: you and the project. Those approvals can arrive at different times. A buyer may qualify on income and credit while the development remains too early for the lender, or the project may qualify while the buyer fails the final affordability check.

That distinction has become more useful in 2026. ADCB and Mashreq now publish dedicated off-plan routes. Commercial Bank of Dubai and Emirates NBD have announced programmes involving Meraas, Nakheel and Dubai Properties, while ADIB has developer-specific partnerships with DAMAC, Binghatti and Modon. Each route has its own construction threshold, cash contribution and approval conditions.

For the wider buying process, including payment plans, registration and handover, read Projectory’s complete guide to off-plan property investment in the UAE.

Quick answer:

Can banks finance off-plan property? Yes, for selected developments and eligible buyers. Some banks provide renewable pre-approval early, then release funds after a construction or payment milestone.

How much can you borrow? The current UAE Central Bank rulebook lists a 50% maximum loan-to-value for property purchased off-plan. Individual banks can offer less.

Which banks have a verified route? Current official material confirms off-plan options or partnerships from ADCB, Mashreq, Commercial Bank of Dubai, Emirates NBD and ADIB.

What will it cost? Budget for your cash contribution, interest or profit, processing, valuation, mortgage registration, insurance or takaful, and a possible valuation shortfall.

Checked on 15 July 2026: Bank products, campaigns and project lists change. The lender’s written Key Facts Statement and final offer take priority over any guide, calculator or pre-approval.

Can you get a mortgage on an off-plan property in Dubai?

Yes. The practical answer depends on the stage of the project and the bank’s approved list.

A developer payment plan and a mortgage are separate arrangements. The developer’s schedule tells you when each instalment is due. A mortgage is credit from a bank, secured against the property under the lender’s terms. A 10/40/50 plan, for example, leaves 50% due at handover. It does not promise that a bank will finance that final 50%.

The UAE Central Bank’s current mortgage regulation sets a maximum 50% loan-to-value for a property purchased off-plan, regardless of the buyer’s nationality, the property price or whether it is a home or investment. It also sets a maximum 25-year term and a 50% debt-burden ratio. Maximum borrowing is capped at seven years of annual income for expatriates and eight years for UAE nationals.

Those limits are ceilings. A bank can approve a smaller loan after it reviews your income, liabilities, credit history, age, employment, residency, the developer, the exact project and its valuation.

Which UAE banks currently finance off-plan property?

The table below includes banks with a current official off-plan product page or a named developer partnership. It is a verified shortlist, rather than a claim about every lender’s private credit policy.

Bank	What its official material confirms	When finance becomes available	Main limits and open points
ADCB	Up to 50% for eligible customers, with 12-month pre-approval that can be renewed annually for key developers	Final approval and financing once 50% of the property value has been paid, or at handover	Current offer starts from 3.49% fixed for three years and advertises no processing or valuation fees; credit and campaign terms apply
Mashreq	Up to 50% on selected under-construction homes in Dubai or Abu Dhabi	Project at least 35% complete and buyer has paid at least 50% of the SPA price	UAE residents only; eligible projects from Emaar, Dubai Holding and Aldar are named, with every project and buyer still subject to approval
Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD)	Conventional and Islamic finance for qualifying off-plan and completed homes from Nakheel, Meraas and Dubai Properties	From 30% construction progress once the buyer has met the 50% payment threshold	UAE nationals and residents, including salaried and self-employed buyers; the announcement does not list rates, LTV, fees or qualifying projects
Emirates NBD	Integrated off-plan pre-approval arrangement across Meraas, Nakheel and Dubai Properties	Pre-approval can begin during the off-plan stage	Announced for residents and non-residents; the partnership announcement does not publish LTV, rates, fees, construction thresholds or drawdown timing
ADIB	Developer-specific Sharia-compliant routes involving DAMAC, Binghatti and future Modon developments	DAMAC and Binghatti arrangements refer to 35% construction; Modon describes funding during construction through handover	Eligibility and project approval apply; the Modon arrangement advertises up to 75%, with detailed product terms still to come

ADCB off-plan mortgage

ADCB currently gives the clearest published path. Its off-plan page advertises financing of up to 50% for eligible customers and a pre-approval valid for 12 months. The bank says that approval can be renewed each year through to handover for key developers. Final approval and financing follow once the buyer has paid 50% of the property value or at handover.

The current promotional rate starts from 3.49% a year, fixed for three years, with no processing or valuation fees. Buyers should check whether their project and application fall inside that offer. ADCB’s standard February 2026 Key Facts Statement lists processing fees of 0.50% to 1.00% of the loan, capped at AED 52,500 before VAT, so the campaign waiver has real value where it applies.

Mashreq off-plan home loan

Mashreq’s programme is available to eligible UAE residents buying a selected under-construction home in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. The project must have reached at least 35% construction, and the buyer must already have paid at least 50% of the price in the SPA.

Its terms name Emaar, Dubai Holding and Aldar as pre-approved developers for eligible projects. That wording still leaves the bank to approve the individual development and unit. Rates, fees, repayment structure and any salary-transfer requirement appear in the final offer letter.

Commercial Bank of Dubai with Nakheel, Meraas and Dubai Properties

Commercial Bank of Dubai and Dubai Holding Real Estate launched a home-finance programme on 10 June 2026 for qualifying off-plan and completed villas and apartments from Nakheel, Meraas and Dubai Properties. It covers eligible UAE nationals and residents, including salaried and self-employed buyers.

Finance becomes available once construction reaches 30% and the customer has met the 50% payment threshold. The programme includes conventional and Islamic options, with fixed and variable rates. CBD also describes faster digital pre-approval for salaried applicants and simplified documentation for self-employed buyers. Its announcement does not list the rates, maximum LTV, fees or qualifying projects, so buyers still need a project-specific offer from the bank.

Emirates NBD with Meraas, Nakheel and Dubai Properties

Emirates NBD and Dubai Holding Real Estate signed an MoU in April 2026 to bring mortgage pre-approval into the off-plan sales journey for developments by Meraas, Nakheel and Dubai Properties. The announcement covers UAE residents and non-residents, subject to approval.

It gives buyers an earlier affordability conversation with the bank. The public announcement stops short of stating the loan-to-value, rate, fees, minimum construction stage or the point at which funds are released. Ask for the project-specific mortgage sheet before treating the partnership as committed finance.

ADIB arrangements with developers

ADIB’s off-plan activity is structured around named developers. Its DAMAC arrangement allows eligible UAE residents to seek finance once construction reaches 35%. A separate MoU with Binghatti describes the same 35% construction point for Sharia-compliant home finance.

The new Modon arrangement in Abu Dhabi uses a different structure and deserves its own section.

How an off-plan mortgage works from booking to handover

The cleanest way to plan an off-plan mortgage is to follow the money in sequence.

You reserve the property. The booking form and SPA set the price and developer instalments. At this point, confirm that a mortgage is permitted under the SPA and ask which banks currently recognise the project.
The bank assesses you. It reviews income, employment or business accounts, existing debts, AECB history, age and residency. An early approval gives a borrowing estimate for a limited period.
The project reaches the lender’s threshold. Some programmes require a named developer, an approved project, a minimum construction percentage and a minimum amount already paid by the buyer.
The bank reassesses the application. Long construction periods can outlast a pre-approval. The lender may request updated salary certificates, bank statements, liabilities and identification.
The property is valued. The bank appoints an approved valuer. The accepted value affects the maximum loan.
Final approval and registration follow. You accept the offer, complete the cooling-off and documentation process, register the mortgage and pay the related charges.
The bank releases funds. Drawdown may happen in stages during construction under a specialist arrangement, or as a single payment near handover. Your offer should state when repayments begin and how profit or interest accrues on staged releases.

A pre-approval from the booking year does not bind the bank several years later. A new job, lower income, extra credit-card limits, a car loan, a missed payment or a lower valuation can change the final amount.

A buyer and mortgage adviser review an off-plan apartment floor plan beside a Dubai residential construction site.

The Modon and ADIB 75% off-plan financing announcement

On 7 July 2026, Modon and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank announced a Memorandum of Understanding for a new off-plan home-finance structure in Abu Dhabi. The arrangement is described as available exclusively for future Modon developments.

The announced payment structure is:

Stage	Share of property value
Buyer payments during construction	15%
Buyer payment at handover	5%-10%
ADIB finance during construction through handover	Up to 75%

On a hypothetical AED 2 million home, 15% during construction equals AED 300,000, the 5%-10% handover payment equals AED 100,000 to AED 200,000, and ADIB’s share could reach AED 1.5 million. The lines total 95% when the handover payment is 5%, so the final project payment schedule must explain how the remaining 5% is funded.

The CBUAE’s published mortgage rulebook continues to list a 50% maximum LTV for off-plan property. The Modon and ADIB announcement gives a maximum of 75% without explaining the regulatory or security structure, and it leaves the eligible projects, launch date, profit rate, fees, tenure, valuation method and repayment start unpublished. Buyers should treat 75% as the announced ceiling until ADIB issues a product sheet, Key Facts Statement and written offer. The arrangement applies to selected future Modon developments; current Bashayer stock and earlier releases have their own payment schedules. Projectory’s full Modon and ADIB financing analysis tracks those outstanding terms, while the Modon Holding guide covers the developer’s current Abu Dhabi portfolio.

What an off-plan mortgage costs

The rate gets the attention. The total cost comes from several lines.

A mortgage calculator, apartment keys and floor plan arranged for Dubai off-plan home finance cost planning.

Your cash contribution

Under the standard CBUAE off-plan ceiling, a buyer needs at least 50% of the accepted property value from their own resources. The developer may collect that amount across booking and construction instalments before the bank releases its share.

If the bank values the home below the SPA price, the gap also comes from the buyer. Suppose the SPA price is AED 2 million and the bank accepts a value of AED 1.9 million. At 50% LTV, the loan reaches AED 950,000. The buyer must cover AED 1.05 million of the price, before fees.

Interest or Islamic profit

Compare the full pricing formula. Many UAE mortgages start with a fixed rate for one, three or five years, then move to EIBOR plus a fixed bank margin. The monthly payment can rise when that fixed period ends.

ADCB’s February 2026 KFS lists standard hybrid pricing from 3.49% to 6.50% during the fixed period, followed by 3-month EIBOR plus a margin between 1.99% and 3.50%. The rate for an individual buyer depends on the product and credit decision.

Emirates NBD’s February 2026 KFS gives a useful reset example on a standard AED 800,000, 25-year home loan. At 3.99%, its representative monthly payment is AED 4,219 for the first three years. The example then moves to AED 5,267 using a 4.24% one-month EIBOR plus a 1.99% margin. That is a published illustration, rather than a quote for the Dubai Holding off-plan partnership.

Processing and valuation

Processing often ranges up to 1% of the loan plus VAT on published standard schedules. A lender may waive it under a campaign. Valuation is separate: Emirates NBD currently lists AED 3,150 including VAT for a completed property, while ADCB’s current off-plan campaign advertises no valuation fee for eligible applications.

Ask whether a waiver applies at pre-approval or final drawdown and whether it expires before handover.

Mortgage registration

Dubai Land Department charges 0.25% of the mortgage value. Its current service page also lists title, knowledge, innovation and service-partner charges, with the service-partner fee depending on whether the mortgage uses an ordinary title or a provisional Oqood route. Read the Dubai off-plan fee guide alongside the bank quote.

In Abu Dhabi, ADREC’s published schedule lists mortgage registration at 1 per thousand of the mortgage value, equal to 0.1%, capped at AED 1 million per transaction. Buyers using the Modon arrangement should confirm the full registration bill for the specific project and finance structure.

Insurance, takaful and early settlement

Banks usually require property cover and may require life insurance or takaful. The cost can be charged monthly, annually or through an approved external policy. Ask for the total premium basis rather than comparing the mortgage rate alone.

Early settlement can also carry a charge. The CBUAE cap for home loans is 1% of the outstanding balance or AED 10,000, whichever is lower. Banks normally add VAT when presenting the customer charge, and some products allow a percentage of the balance to be repaid each year free of charge.

Worked example: the cash needed for a Dubai off-plan mortgage

Consider a Dubai off-plan apartment with an SPA price of AED 2 million. The buyer has paid 50% through the developer plan and applies for a AED 1 million mortgage at handover.

Cost item	Illustrative amount
Buyer contribution to purchase price	AED 1,000,000
4% DLD initial-sale registration	AED 80,000
0.25% mortgage registration on AED 1m	AED 2,500
Processing at 1% plus VAT	AED 10,500
Completed-property valuation using Emirates NBD’s published fee	AED 3,150
Subtotal before DLD service charges and insurance	AED 1,096,150

This example uses a standard processing fee for illustration. A fee waiver would lower the subtotal. DLD service-partner, title, knowledge and innovation charges still need to be added, along with insurance or takaful. The 4% initial-sale registration is usually paid near the start of the purchase, while mortgage costs land closer to registration and drawdown.

The monthly payment sits outside that cash total. It depends on the approved loan amount, rate and term, then changes if the mortgage moves from a fixed period to EIBOR-linked pricing.

How banks decide whether to lend

Bank approval comes down to four tests.

The buyer: income, job or business stability, age, residency, credit record and current liabilities.

The project: developer, escrow and registration status, construction progress, handover outlook and whether the development appears on the lender’s approved list.

The numbers: SPA price, bank valuation, requested LTV, debt-burden ratio and cash already paid from the buyer’s own funds.

The timing: validity of pre-approval, expected handover, valuation date, offer expiry and the deadline for the developer’s final instalment.

Non-residents have fewer confirmed early-stage routes. Emirates NBD’s Dubai Holding announcement explicitly includes residents and non-residents, subject to approval. Mashreq’s current off-plan programme is limited to UAE residents. Other lenders may consider a non-resident once a unit is completed or handed over, under their ready-property criteria. Projectory’s guide to buying Dubai off-plan property from abroad covers the wider remote-purchase process, including power of attorney, escrow transfers and source-of-funds preparation.

Questions to ask before relying on mortgage finance

Get written answers to these questions before you reserve:

Does the bank finance this exact project, building and unit type?

What construction percentage must the project reach?

How much of the SPA price must I pay before drawdown?

Is this pre-approval renewable, and what triggers a fresh credit check?

Does financing arrive during construction or only at handover?

When do monthly repayments and interest or profit begin?

What is the fixed rate, how long does it last, and what margin applies over EIBOR afterwards?

What are the processing, valuation, registration, insurance and broker charges?

Will the bank lend against the lower of the SPA price and its valuation?

What happens if handover moves beyond the offer expiry date?

Can I make partial repayments without charge?

Which documents or eligibility rules could change before final approval?

The strongest mortgage plan leaves room for a smaller final loan, a later handover and a higher payment after the fixed-rate period. Buyers who can absorb those three changes are far less exposed to a last-minute funding gap.

Browse current UAE off-plan projects on Projectory, then ask lenders about the exact development before committing to its payment schedule.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a mortgage for an off-plan property in Dubai?

Yes. ADCB and Mashreq publish dedicated off-plan routes. Commercial Bank of Dubai and Emirates NBD have also announced arrangements involving Meraas, Nakheel and Dubai Properties. Approval depends on the buyer, developer, project, construction stage, payments already made and valuation.

Which banks offer off-plan mortgages in the UAE?

Current official material confirms routes from ADCB, Mashreq, Commercial Bank of Dubai, Emirates NBD and ADIB. Each bank limits finance to eligible buyers and selected projects. Other lenders may assess near-complete or handed-over units under different policies, so ask about the exact project rather than requesting a general mortgage quote.

How much deposit do I need for an off-plan mortgage?

The CBUAE’s published off-plan LTV ceiling is 50%, which means the buyer generally needs to cover at least half of the accepted property value. A lower bank valuation or a lower approved LTV increases that cash requirement. The Modon-ADIB announcement describes a separate future structure with buyer payments of 15% during construction and 5%-10% at handover, subject to eligibility and full product terms.

Can a non-resident get an off-plan mortgage in Dubai?

The Emirates NBD and Dubai Holding Real Estate announcement expressly includes residents and non-residents, subject to approval. Mashreq’s current off-plan programme is for UAE residents, while the CBD programme covers eligible UAE nationals and residents. Non-resident eligibility varies sharply by lender, project and construction stage.

Does mortgage pre-approval last until handover?

Usually no. ADCB’s current off-plan route offers 12-month pre-approval with annual renewal for key developers. Most approvals have an expiry date, and the bank can reassess income, liabilities, credit and property value before releasing funds.

What is the Modon and ADIB 75% financing plan?

It is an MoU announced on 7 July 2026 for future Modon developments in Abu Dhabi. The release says eligible buyers can receive up to 75% finance from ADIB during construction through handover, while paying 15% during construction and a further 5%-10% at handover. Eligible projects, rates, fees and detailed product criteria have not yet been published.

When do repayments start on an off-plan mortgage?

It depends on the drawdown structure. A conventional handover mortgage begins after the bank releases funds near completion. A staged construction-finance arrangement may start charging profit or interest as funds are released. The offer letter should state the first payment date and how charges apply to each drawdown.