Insights · Dubai office ownership
Buying an office in Dubai: who may own, where, and what to check
If you are thinking of buying an office in Dubai, three legal questions come first: who may own, in which area, and through which kind of company. This guide sets out what Dubai law and the Dubai Land Department (DLD) publish, where sources are unclear, and what to check before you buy.
General information as at 26 October 2026, not legal, tax or investment advice. Law and practice change: confirm your own case with a Dubai lawyer. Disclosure at the end.
01 / The short answer
The short answer
Law No. 7 of 2006, Article 4, reserves ownership of property in Dubai for UAE nationals, nationals of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, companies fully owned by them, and public joint stock companies. Non-UAE nationals may be granted freehold, meaning ownership with no time limit, only in areas the Ruler determines and with his approval.
So three checks come first: is the plot in a designated area, who exactly is the buyer, and is the right recorded with DLD. Where sources disagree, this guide says so and picks no side.
02 / Who can own
Who can own an office in Dubai
Article 4 makes no distinction between offices and homes. In designated areas it lets non-UAE nationals hold freehold, or a usufruct or leasehold of up to 99 years. A usufruct is a right to use another person's property for a set term (Dubai Land Department, checked 26 October 2026). Article 4 does not say in terms how a company with foreign owners is classified.
A disposition (a transaction that creates, transfers, changes or ends a real property right, such as a sale) is not effective unless recorded in the Real Property Register (Law No. 7 of 2019, replacing Article 9), and only DLD registers these rights (Law No. 7 of 2006, Article 6). DLD issues the title deed, its certificate for a registered property, from the register (Article 22), and the law says the title deed has absolute evidentiary value, that is, it counts as proof of the rights it records (Article 24).
Any agreement or disposition that breaches the Law, or is made to get around it, is null and void, and any interested party, DLD or the Public Prosecution can invoke that before a court (Article 26). Have a lawyer check any ownership structure before you sign.
03 / Freehold areas
Dubai freehold areas: how they are designated
The Ruler designates the areas. Regulation No. 3 of 2006, Article 3, lists 23 areas by name and plot number, with maps held by DLD, and DLD and the UAE government portal (u.ae) cite it. Later resolutions added plots, but we found no consolidated current list.
Business Bay is where sources differ. A 2017 guide on the DLD website, published with the law firm Al Tamimi & Company, lists it among the most important designated areas and names no instrument. Regulation No. 3, Article 3, lists numbered plots under area names, not development names, and it uses neither the name Business Bay nor Downtown Dubai, which the guide also lists. We found no published copy of the maps that show what its plots cover, so the names alone do not show whether Business Bay land is included. No later designating instrument we found names Business Bay. We could not resolve this: get the plot number and have a lawyer confirm its status with DLD.
Sheikh Zayed Road is plot by plot. Regulation No. 3 of 2006 lists plots 118 and 147 under the area name Sheikh Zayed Road; we found no published copy of the maps that show what they cover. On 19 January 2025 DLD announced that owners of 128 eligible plots along the road, from the Trade Centre Roundabout to the Water Canal, can convert them to freehold, which is open to all nationalities (Dubai Land Department, news release). The release cites no instrument and is addressed to owners, not buyers. Eligible is not converted: it says a freehold title deed is issued only after the owner applies, the land is valued and a conversion fee is paid, so ask to see that freehold title deed.
Check the plot, not the district name: DLD's Property Status Enquiry page says freehold purchase is open to all nationalities and non-freehold purchase to GCC nationals (Dubai Land Department, checked 26 October 2026). See also our district comparison.
04 / Foreign companies
Can a foreign company buy an office in Dubai?
DLD's FAQ says a company owned by non-UAE citizens can hold property in a designated area if registered in one of Dubai's free zones, or in another emirate as per memorandums of understanding; the FAQ does not say with whom (Dubai Land Department FAQ, checked 26 October 2026). DLD's company-registration page is narrower: foreign companies must be registered in a free zone in Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah. DLD has also announced memoranda of cooperation with single free zones, such as Masdar City (24 July 2025) and the Ajman Free Zones Authority (4 April 2025). Neither release sets out the rules itself: Masdar's says eligibility criteria are still to be developed, and Ajman's says the memorandum aims to establish a legal framework. A company must be registered with DLD before it can complete a sale.
| Buyer | What the sources say | What to ask DLD or your lawyer |
|---|---|---|
| Mainland company with foreign shareholders | DLD's registration page has a separate fee line for foreign shareholders but states no eligibility rule. The 2017 guide on the DLD website, written with the law firm Al Tamimi & Company, said a company registered with the Department of Economic Development in Dubai or any other emirate, if not wholly UAE or GCC owned, may own in designated areas; DLD's FAQ does not repeat that. | Does DLD accept it today, and what proof of shareholding? |
| Free-zone company | DLD lists the licence, memorandum and articles, owner's ID and, for a purchase only, a no-objection certificate from the licensing entity (DLD company-registration page). | Is your free zone accepted? What must the certificate say? |
| DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre) company | DIFC's Real Property Law says Dubai's real estate laws do not apply to property it governs unless they say so (DIFC Law No. 10 of 2018, Article 9). We found no general rule for a DIFC company holding DLD-registered property elsewhere in Dubai. The one official text we found is Resolution No. 2 of 2013 (we found it in Arabic only), by which the Ruler specially authorised the Dubai branch of one DIFC-licensed company to own property in all areas of Dubai, on conditions including at least 51% UAE or GCC ownership of its parent. | Does a DIFC buyer outside the DIFC need special DLD approval? |
| Offshore company | We found no DLD list of accepted offshore registries. Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA) offshore regulations (October 2023) let a JAFZA offshore company own property in a designated freehold area (Regulation 14.2); that is JAFZA's rule, not DLD's acceptance. | Does DLD accept your registry today? |
| Company incorporated abroad | DLD's pages do not define “foreign company”. The 2017 guide said DLD did not allow foreign companies to own directly. DLD's off-plan page asks a foreign company for an Arabic-translated memorandum ratified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (the page does not say which country's) and a free-zone no-objection certificate valid for one year. | Can it be registered directly, or must it set up a UAE entity first? |
DLD's purchase pages list no board resolution, certificate of incumbency (a list of the company's current directors) or certificate of good standing (proof that the company is registered and up to date), and law-firm guides differ on what else to bring. Ask DLD for the full list for your company type.
05 / Ready or off-plan
Ready or off-plan: title deed or Oqood
A ready unit is sold with the parties, or their representatives under an official power of attorney, present at a Real Estate Registration Trustee centre, and DLD issues the title deed (Dubai Land Department FAQ, checked 26 October 2026). An individual with a UAE ID can instead use DLD's online Dubai Now service for an office in a freehold area, if the unit is free of restrictions and mortgages; DLD says the service is for individuals only (Dubai Land Department, checked 26 October 2026). The contract is usually a sale and purchase agreement (SPA).
An off-plan unit is sold before completion. Law No. 13 of 2008, Article 3, requires off-plan dispositions to be entered in the Interim Property Register and makes any sale void unless entered. DLD calls this initial registration, and its developer portal for it is Oqood. On completion the developer must enter the project in the Property Register, including units sold to purchasers who met their contract obligations (Article 8).
Escrow here means a bank account opened for the project, into which off-plan buyers' payments are paid. Law No. 8 of 2007 covers commercial as well as residential multi-storey developments (Article 2) and gives each project its own escrow account, protected from the developer's creditors (Article 9). This guide does not cover how to check a particular off-plan project.
06 / Checklist
What to check before you buy an office in Dubai
- The title deed and plot. Ask for both. DLD offers Verify Title Deed and Property Status Enquiry services on its website and in the Dubai REST app (Dubai Land Department, checked 26 October 2026).
- Freehold or usufruct. Ask which right you would hold and, for a usufruct, its term; Article 4 allows up to 99 years, in designated areas only.
- The seller's identity and authority. Check who the registered owner is. A representative needs an official power of attorney, and one issued abroad must be ratified by the notary and foreign ministry there, the UAE embassy there and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DLD FAQ). For a company seller, ask your lawyer what proof of authority to collect.
- Mortgages and other claims. A mortgage (a loan secured on the property) takes effect only when registered with DLD (Law No. 14 of 2008, Article 7). An owner who has mortgaged the unit may sell it only with the lender's approval and if the buyer agrees to take over the owner's obligations under the mortgage (Article 10). DLD's page on registering the sale of a mortgaged property says the sale procedure is completed after the bank's mortgage release letter is submitted (Dubai Land Department, checked 26 October 2026). Ask your lawyer for a written statement of mortgages and other claims.
- Service charges. In a building with several owners (jointly owned property in Dubai law), a unit may not be disposed of until unpaid service charges are paid (Law No. 6 of 2019, Article 32). Mollak is DLD's system for monitoring them (DLD FAQ). See our guide to strata offices vs single-owner towers.
- Permitted use. Ask in writing what use the unit is permitted for, and check it against your licence: a mainland business may not use its premises for purposes other than those in its licence (Law No. 13 of 2011, Article 17).
- VAT, the DLD fee and your company documents. Agree in the SPA who pays each cost. If you buy through a company, register it with DLD first and ask for the document list for your company type.
- The broker. DLD publishes lists of brokers and brokerage companies licensed by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), and says a broker must hold a RERA broker card and that an unlicensed broker can lose the right to a commission (Dubai Land Department, checked 26 October 2026).
07 / Costs
Costs: government fees and VAT
The DLD registration fee for a sale is 4% of the sale contract value, shared equally by seller and purchaser unless they agree otherwise (Executive Council Resolution No. 30 of 2013, Schedule item 1 and Article 3). DLD's Property Sale Registration page shows 2% each, while its Contract F template (the standard sale contract between seller and buyer) leaves the split blank. Other DLD charges apply and are not given here.
The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) Real Estate VAT Guide (April 2021, section 6) says commercial real estate is subject to VAT at the standard rate of 5%, the rate in Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017, Article 3. The guide counts as commercial any land or building that is not a home, a charitable-use building or bare land. Where a resale by anyone other than the developer is subject to 5% VAT, it says the buyer pays the VAT directly to the FTA before the DLD transfer. It excludes the sale of an office with existing tenants to a buyer that is a taxable person (registered, or required to register, for VAT) where the sale qualifies as the transfer of a business. The Decree-Law imposes VAT on supplies made by a taxable person (Article 2). This is guidance, not law, and we could not confirm DLD's current practice; ask a tax adviser about your case.
08 / Next step
Next step: confirm with a Dubai lawyer
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Ask a Dubai lawyer who can read the Arabic texts, which prevail over the English translations, to confirm the plot, your company's eligibility and the SPA before you pay anything.
Disclosure: rockefellerdubai.com is an independent marketing website for one tower on Sheikh Zayed Road, not the official website of the developer, LMD, or of Christian A. Rockefeller. That tower, Christian A. Rockefeller Business Tower, is offered as individual offices and floors on freehold title, per the developer's factsheet, so it is the kind of building this guide discusses. This guide does not say who may buy in it (see the FAQ), and it estimates no rent, income, yield or resale value.
09 / Sources
Sources and method
Law and fee statements were checked against the texts and pages below on 26 October 2026. English texts on the Dubai Legislation Portal are translations and the Arabic prevails. Law-firm and broker guides were not used as authority for any legal statement. The 2017 guide below was written with a law firm and is quoted only to show what it says.
- Supreme Legislation Committee, Dubai (Dubai Legislation Portal), Law No. (7) of 2006 Concerning Real Property Registration in the Emirate of Dubai, issued 13 Mar 2006.
- Supreme Legislation Committee, Dubai, Law No. (7) of 2019 Amending Law No. (7) of 2006, issued 4 Sep 2019.
- Supreme Legislation Committee, Dubai, Regulation No. (3) of 2006 Determining Areas for Ownership by Non-UAE Nationals of Real Property in the Emirate of Dubai, issued 7 Jun 2006.
- Supreme Legislation Committee, Dubai, Law No. (13) of 2008 (Interim Property Register), issued 14 Aug 2008.
- Supreme Legislation Committee, Dubai, Law No. (8) of 2007 (escrow accounts), issued 6 May 2007.
- Supreme Legislation Committee, Dubai, Law No. (14) of 2008 (mortgage), issued 14 Aug 2008.
- Supreme Legislation Committee, Dubai, Law No. (6) of 2019 Concerning Ownership of Jointly Owned Real Property in the Emirate of Dubai, issued 4 Sep 2019.
- Supreme Legislation Committee, Dubai, Law No. (13) of 2011 (economic activities), issued 24 Aug 2011.
- Supreme Legislation Committee, Dubai, Executive Council Resolution No. (30) of 2013 (Land Department fees), issued 18 Sep 2013.
- Supreme Legislation Committee, Dubai, Resolution No. (2) of 2013 authorising the Dubai branch of a DIFC-licensed company to own real estate in Dubai (Arabic text only), issued 19 Feb 2013.
- Dubai Land Department, Frequently asked questions, site updated 14 Oct 2026.
- Dubai Land Department, Company registration application, site updated 14 Oct 2026.
- Dubai Land Department, Property Sale Registration, Buy or Sell Property via Dubai Now and Registering the Sale of a Mortgaged Property, site updated 14 Oct 2026.
- Dubai Land Department, Property Status Enquiry, site updated 14 Oct 2026.
- Dubai Land Department, Verify Title Deed, site updated 14 Oct 2026.
- Dubai Land Department, Request to register the initial sale, site updated 14 Oct 2026.
- Dubai Land Department, Usufruct/Musataha right registration application, site updated 14 Oct 2026.
- Dubai Land Department, Licensed Real Estate Brokers and Licensed real estate brokerage companies, site updated 14 Oct 2026.
- Dubai Land Department, DLD enables private property owners on Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Jaddaf to convert to freehold ownership, 19 Jan 2025.
- Dubai Land Department, DLD and Masdar City sign memorandum of cooperation, 24 Jul 2025, and DLD and AFZA partner to boost real estate investments, 4 Apr 2025.
- Dubai Land Department and Al Tamimi & Company, Know Your Rights... For Real Estate Investors in Dubai (PDF guide), 2017; a guide, not legislation.
- Dubai Land Department, Property Sales Contract between Seller and Buyer (Contract F template).
- UAE Government portal, Expatriates buying a property in the UAE, updated 28 Sep 2026.
- Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority, Jebel Ali Free Zone Offshore Companies Regulations 2023, issued October 2023.
- DIFC Authority, Real Property Law, DIFC Law No. 10 of 2018 (consolidated Nov 2024).
- Federal Tax Authority, Real Estate VAT Guide (VATGRE1), April 2021, and VAT Payment User Guide for Commercial Property Buyers, May 2021.
- Federal Tax Authority, Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017 on Value Added Tax (unofficial translation).