Buying your first home in Dubai: the First-Time Home Buyer Programme, costs and steps
For UAE residents ready to stop renting: the Dubai Land Department's First-Time Home Buyer Programme, who qualifies, what it gives you, and the costs and timeline of a first purchase.
In this guide
If you live in the UAE and rent in Dubai, the most direct help with a first purchase is the Dubai Land Department's First-Time Home Buyer Programme. It is open to residents of any nationality who own no freehold home in Dubai, for properties under AED 5 million, and gives you priority access to new launches, preferential developer prices and better mortgage terms from five banks. It does not change the rules or the 4% registration fee. This guide covers the programme as published on the DLD's site on 13 November 2026, then the money, steps and timeline of moving from renting to owning. It is general information, not financial or legal advice.
What is the First-Time Home Buyer Programme?
The programme was launched in July 2025 by the Dubai Land Department (DLD) and Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). Gulf News reported in June 2026 that it sits within the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) and the Dubai Real Estate Strategy 2033, with the stated aim that home ownership should be within reach of residents. Commentators quoted by The National at launch described it as a way to move existing residents from renting to owning.
Who qualifies
| Condition | What the DLD says |
|---|---|
| Residence | A UAE resident, of any nationality |
| Age | 18 or older |
| Ownership | Must not currently own any freehold residential property in Dubai |
| Property value | Looking for a property valued below AED 5 million |
Points the DLD clarifies:
- Owning property in another emirate, or in a non-freehold location in Dubai, does not disqualify you.
- Joint purchases are allowed only if every buyer is eligible.
- There is no salary condition for the programme itself. The National noted at launch that banks decide on finance under their own credit rules.
- If you are found ineligible, the DLD tells you why, and you can reapply once you meet the criteria.
What it gives you
According to the DLD's programme page:
- Priority access to units in new launches from participating developers, who contact registered buyers before each launch.
- Preferential prices and flexible payment plans on off-plan units from select developers.
- The registration fee in instalments: the 4% DLD fee can be paid interest-free through eligible credit cards.
- Better mortgage terms: improved interest rates, preferential fees and, for ready homes, faster approvals at the partner banks.
- Additional benefits for Emirati citizens, which the page mentions without listing.
What it does not do:
- Waive the DLD fee. The DLD says standard registration fees and developer or bank charges still apply unless a specific offer says otherwise.
- Guarantee a discount. Benefits differ by developer, bank and property. A "preferential price" is only worth something against the prices of comparable homes, so check recent sales in the building and the area before treating it as a saving.
Developers and banks taking part
The DLD's page lists 21 developers: Azizi, Binghatti, Beyond, DAMAC, Danube, Dubai Properties, Ellington, Emaar, Majid Al Futtaim, Meraas, Nakheel, Palma Holding, Wasl, Sky View, Samana, Reportage, Qube, Manam, IRTH, Arada and 4Direction Developments. Gulf News reported 22 in June 2026, including Dubai World Trade Centre. Five banks take part: Commercial Bank of Dubai, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates Islamic, Emirates NBD and Mashreq.
You may approach any of them, but the DLD states that benefits can be used with only one developer and one bank. Compare offers before you commit to either.
Emirates NBD's published terms for its offer under the programme give an example of what a bank adds: up to 85% loan-to-value for UAE nationals and 80% for expatriates, a minimum salary of AED 10,000 for nationals and AED 15,000 for expatriates, no application fee, free partial settlement of up to 20% of the loan, and pricing from 3.99% linked to one-month EIBOR plus 1.99%.
How to register
- Register on the DLD website or in the Dubai REST app and submit the details requested, including your budget and preferences.
- If eligible, you receive an email from the DLD with your First-Time Home Buyer QR code.
- Show the code to participating developers and banks to use the benefits.
There is no fee to join. The code remains valid until you have bought and registered a property. If you do not find a home, your registration stays live and you keep receiving launch notices.
One-time use. Once you buy through the programme you lose first-time buyer status permanently, even if you later sell. Use it on the home you actually want.
What has happened so far
| Date | Reported result | Source |
|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | More than 2,000 residents had bought in the first six months | WAM |
| June 2026 | More than 3,200 residents had bought; transactions above AED 5 billion; nearly 45,000 registrations; nine more developers added, 22 in total | DLD and DET, via Gulf News and WAM |
Gulf News reported that Binghatti had sold the most units under the programme. At launch, The National reported that Binghatti would allocate at least 10% of its new and existing units under AED 5 million to first-time buyers.
How much do you need to buy your first home?
The Central Bank caps the mortgage on a first home worth AED 5 million or less at 80% of its value for expatriates and 85% for UAE nationals. Fees are paid in cash. Our guide to mortgages for UAE residents covers salary, debt and rate rules in full.
Cash needed on an AED 1.2 million home, expatriate buyer:
| Completed home, through an agent, 80% mortgage | Off-plan, 10% booking | |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit or booking | AED 240,000 | AED 120,000 |
| DLD fee, 4% | AED 48,000 | AED 48,000 |
| Registration, title and trustee fees | AED 4,780 | AED 1,020 now, AED 540 at completion |
| Agent, 2% + VAT | AED 25,200 | Usually none: the developer pays |
| Mortgage registration, arrangement and valuation | AED 15,900 | At handover, if you borrow then |
| Cash at the start | AED 333,880 | AED 169,020 |
The off-plan column is not cheaper: it spreads the price. The remaining 90% is paid in instalments to the project's escrow account during construction and at handover, often while you are still paying rent. See off-plan payment plans explained.
Two smaller costs to budget for on moving in: a refundable DEWA deposit of AED 2,000 for an apartment or AED 4,000 for a villa, and any service charge payable from the date you take ownership. See service charges in Dubai.
Our mortgage affordability calculator works out what your income supports. The purchase cost calculator itemises the fees on a given price.
From renting to owning: the steps and timeline
1. Decide whether buying suits you now
Buying in Dubai carries roughly 7% in costs on a resale, so it makes most sense if you expect to stay several years. Our renting vs buying guide works through the numbers, including the price growth a buyer needs to come out ahead over three, five and ten years.
2. Get a mortgage pre-approval
Before you view seriously, get an approval in principle. It tells you the price range the bank will support and is normally valid for 60 to 90 days. If you have registered for the programme, ask the partner banks for their programme terms and compare them with at least one bank outside it.
3. Register for the programme
Even if you plan to buy a resale home, registration costs nothing and keeps the developer and bank benefits open.
4. Choose where and what
Most first-time buyers weigh three things: commute, schools and budget. Our commute finder compares drive times from each community to where you work, and our family communities guide sets published prices, rents and drive times side by side.
5. Choose ready or off-plan
| Ready (completed) home | Off-plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Move in | Weeks after agreeing a price | Two to four years after booking, if the project is on time |
| Mortgage | Available now at the first-home cap | Usually only at handover |
| What you can inspect | The actual home, building and service charges | A plan, a show home and the developer's record |
| Programme benefit | Mortgage terms at partner banks | Priority access, preferential prices, flexible plans, mortgage terms |
| Rent while you wait | None once you move in | Usually continues until handover |
Our guides to buying a ready home and off-plan vs ready property cover each route.
6. Agree the purchase
Ready home. You, the seller and the brokers sign the standard RERA sale contract, Form F, and you lodge a deposit cheque, typically 10% of the price. The seller obtains the developer's no-objection certificate; your bank values the property and issues its offer.
Off-plan. You pay the booking amount and the 4% DLD fee, sign the sale and purchase agreement, and the developer registers the sale on the DLD's interim register, Oqood. Pay only into the project escrow account named in the contract. See buying off-plan in the UAE.
7. Transfer or handover
A ready purchase completes at a DLD registration trustee office, where the title deed is issued in your name the same day. Property Finder's November 2026 guide puts a cash purchase at about four to six weeks from offer to transfer, and one with a new mortgage at about six to ten weeks.
8. Give notice on your rental
Your tenancy contract is separate from the purchase. Read its early termination terms before you set a move date and, where you can, time the transfer or handover to the end of the lease.
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Saving and pre-approval | Your own timetable; pre-approval lasts 60 to 90 days |
| Search and offer | A few weeks |
| Offer to transfer, cash | About 4 to 6 weeks |
| Offer to transfer, with a mortgage | About 6 to 10 weeks |
| Off-plan booking to handover | Typically 2 to 4 years |
Mistakes first-time buyers make
- Spending the programme on the wrong home. It can be used once, with one developer and one bank.
- Treating a launch price as a discount. Compare it with registered sales nearby. Dubai prices eased in parts of the market during 2026, so resale homes in the same community can be cheaper than a new launch.
- Forgetting the cash for fees. About 7% to 8% of the price on a resale with a mortgage, none of which the bank lends.
- Stretching to the limit. The 50% debt-burden ratio is a ceiling, not a target. Leave room for a rate rise; a fixed rate eventually reverts to EIBOR plus a margin.
- Overlooking residency. A completed home registered in your name can support a two-year property investor visa, and one worth AED 2 million or more a Golden Visa, which matters if your employment visa is your only residence.
How we help first-time buyers
We work across the whole market, not one developer's stock, and every recommendation comes with a full cost breakdown in dirhams. Our advisers are salaried, not paid on commission, so there is no reason for us to rush you. On off-plan purchases we are paid by the developer, as is standard in Dubai. If you would like a shortlist matched to your budget and commute, contact us.
