Your buyer is purchasing a resale apartment in Dubai Marina. Which government body registers the sale and issues the new title deed?
- The Ministry of Economy and Tourism
- Dubai Municipality
- The Dubai Land Department (DLD)
- The Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC)
Property registration is a local matter, so each emirate keeps its own land register. In Dubai it is the DLD, whose regulatory arm RERA licenses brokers. ADREC plays that role in Abu Dhabi, and the federal ministry only supervises brokers for anti-money laundering.
DLD / RERA, Real Estate Brokerage Practice Guide (2024) Which body is the real estate regulator of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi?
- The Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC)
- RERA, through its Abu Dhabi branch
- DARI
- Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)
ADREC was set up in November 2023 under the Department of Municipalities and Transport to regulate and manage Abu Dhabi real estate. DARI is its digital platform, not the regulator, and ADGM is a financial free zone with its own separate framework. RERA belongs to Dubai only.
A&O Shearman, Abu Dhabi real estate: five changes (2026) A tenant who rented through Ejari in Dubai is moving to an apartment on Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi. In which system must the new lease be registered?
- Ejari, because it is a UAE-wide system
- Tasdeeq
- Oqood
- Tawtheeq
Lease registration is local. Abu Dhabi uses Tawtheeq (through DARI or TAMM), and the Tawtheeq number is needed to connect water and electricity. Ejari is Dubai, Tasdeeq is Ajman and Oqood is Dubai's off-plan register.
Modon, What is Tawtheeq: a complete guide in 2026 (2026) You hold a valid Dubai RERA broker card (BRN). A friend asks you to sell his villa on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. What is the correct position?
- Your BRN is a federal licence, so you can broker anywhere in the UAE
- You can broker it as long as you hold an Emirates ID
- You need a broker licence from ADREC to practise in Abu Dhabi
- You only need to register the deal on goAML
Broker licensing is done emirate by emirate. In Abu Dhabi, ADREC issues individual broker licences through DARI and every agent working there must hold one. A Dubai BRN covers Dubai brokerage only.
dubizzle, Process to register as a real estate broker in Abu Dhabi (2026-09) Which of these rules is set at federal level and is the same whether your client buys in Dubai, Sharjah or Ras Al Khaimah?
- The property registration fee
- The maximum mortgage loan-to-value (LTV) set by the Central Bank
- The tenancy contract registration system
- The broker licensing exam
The Central Bank of the UAE sets mortgage rules, including LTV caps and the 50% debt burden limit, for every bank in the country. Registration fees, lease registration and broker licensing are decided by each emirate.
CBUAE Rulebook, Mortgage Regulations, Important Ratios (2026) Value Added Tax on a broker's commission is a federal tax. At what rate does it apply in every emirate?
- 0%
- 2%
- 4%
- 5%
UAE VAT is federal and runs at the standard 5% rate everywhere, including on brokerage commission. It does not apply to government registration fees such as the DLD transfer fee.
Property Finder, DLD fees in Dubai explained (2025) The UAE Golden Visa for real estate investors is a federal scheme. What minimum investment does the official UAE government portal list for it?
- 2 million
- 750,000
- 1 million
- 5 million
The u.ae portal lists a minimum of 2 million for real estate investors. The visa is a federal residence scheme, applied for through ICP, or through GDRFA and the DLD for Dubai property.
UAE Government portal u.ae, Golden visa (2026) Your landlord client owns an apartment in Ajman and asks where the new tenancy contract must be registered. What do you answer?
- Ejari
- Tasdeeq
- Tawtheeq
- It does not need to be registered outside Dubai
Ajman registers and attests tenancy contracts through Tasdeeq, its counterpart to Ejari in Dubai and Tawtheeq in Abu Dhabi. Each emirate runs its own lease register.
Bayut, Complete guide to Tasdeeq in Ajman (2026-08) A colleague says Madhmoun and Madmoun are the same system. What is the difference?
- There is none, it is one federal listing system
- Madhmoun is Abu Dhabi's advertising permit and verified listing system run by ADREC, while Madmoun is the DLD's QR verification for permitted Dubai ads
- Madhmoun is Sharjah's lease register and Madmoun is Dubai's
- Madhmoun is the federal AML portal and Madmoun the Dubai ad permit
In Abu Dhabi, every property ad needs a Madhmoun permit, requested through DARI, and ADREC presents it as the emirate's verified listing service. In Dubai, Madmoun is the DLD's QR code on permitted ads. Similar names, different emirates.
Bayut, ADREC Madhmoun, Abu Dhabi's first MLS (2025) A buyer purchases a ready apartment on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, for 2,000,000. At Abu Dhabi's 2% registration fee, how much is the registration fee in total?
2,000,000 x 2% = 40,000. The same apartment in Dubai would carry the 4% DLD fee, 80,000, which shows why fees must always be checked per emirate.
Modon, Municipality fees in Abu Dhabi: a detailed guide in 2026 (2026) Under Sharjah's property registration law as amended by Law No. 2 of 2022, how can a non-GCC foreigner own property in Sharjah?
- Anywhere in Sharjah, exactly as in Dubai freehold areas
- Never, foreigners can only rent in Sharjah
- Only through a company registered with the DLD
- With the Ruler's approval, or in real estate development areas and projects set by regulation
By default, Sharjah ownership is for UAE and GCC nationals. The 2022 amendment allows others to own with the Ruler's approval, by inheritance, by transfer to a first-degree relative, or in approved development areas and projects. Registration is with the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department.
Al Tamimi via GCC BDI, Sharjah relaxes its restrictions on foreign ownership (2022-11) Since Abu Dhabi Law No. 13 of 2019, what can foreign individuals own in the emirate's designated investment zones?
- Freehold, including freehold of land
- Only apartments, never land
- Only a 25-year lease
- Only Musataha rights capped at 50 years
Before 2019, foreigners could own units but only hold land through Musataha, usufruct or long leases. Law No. 13 of 2019 opened full freehold, land included, in the investment zones. Abu Dhabi had 50 investment zones by mid-2026.
Al Tamimi & Co, Foreign ownership of land in Abu Dhabi: a major reform (2019) A brokerage opens a branch in Ras Al Khaimah. For anti-money laundering, which authority supervises it?
- RAK Municipality
- The Dubai Land Department, as the largest market
- The federal Ministry of Economy and Tourism, with reports filed on goAML
- Each bank the clients use
AML is federal. Real estate brokers in every emirate are DNFBPs supervised by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism and must register and report on the FIU's goAML platform, whatever their local licence.
Uppersetup, DNFBP AML compliance in the UAE 2026 (2026) Residence visas are federal, but who processes them? Pick the correct split.
- ICP for all seven emirates, including Dubai
- Each emirate's land department
- GDRFA for all seven emirates
- GDRFA Dubai for Dubai, and ICP for the other emirates
The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) handles visas for every emirate except Dubai, where GDRFA Dubai issues them. Land departments only provide the title deed used in a property-based application.
Bayut, All about ICP (2025) In Ras Al Khaimah, which body registers brokerage firms and developers and regulates escrow for off-plan projects?
- The Real Estate Regulatory Administration within RAK Municipality
- RAKEZ, the economic zone authority
- The Dubai RERA, under a federal agreement
- The Ministry of Economy and Tourism
RAK's Real Estate Regulatory Administration, set up by Emiri Decree No. 22 of 2008, sits in RAK Municipality's Lands and Properties Sector. It registers brokerages and developers, approves off-plan projects and their escrow accounts, and must approve off-plan advertising.
RAK Municipality, Real Estate Regulatory Administration (2026) A non-GCC client wants a cheaper freehold apartment close to Dubai. Which statement is accurate?
- Freehold is federal, so every area of every emirate is open to foreigners
- Sharjah has allowed any foreigner to buy anywhere since 2022
- Ajman has designated freehold areas such as Ajman One and Emirates City, the sale is registered in Ajman, and your Dubai BRN does not cover it
- Any UAE property can be registered at the DLD if the buyer prefers
Ajman has allowed foreign ownership in designated freehold areas for years, and registration goes through Ajman's land department, not the DLD. Freehold zones, fees and broker licences are local, and Sharjah ownership for non-GCC buyers stays conditional.
dubizzle, All about foreign property ownership in Ajman (2026-09) Which government entity regulates the real estate sector in Ajman today?
- The Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department
- The Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation (AjmanRE)
- The Dubai Land Department
- Ajman Municipality's Tasdeeq office
AjmanRE was established by Emiri Decree No. 7 of 2017 and handles registration, transfers, mortgages and valuations in Ajman. Older sources mention ARRA, the Ajman Real Estate Regulatory Agency founded in 2008. Tasdeeq only covers lease attestation.
Ajman Government, Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation (2026) A tenant signs a 40,000 per year residential lease in Sharjah. Sharjah Municipality charges 4% of the annual rent (minimum 500) to attest it. What is the attestation fee, excluding the form fee?
40,000 x 4% = 1,600, which is above the 500 minimum. In Sharjah, leases are attested by the Municipality, a different office and fee from Dubai's Ejari.
dubizzle, How to get a residential tenancy contract attestation in Sharjah (2023-08) Under Abu Dhabi's Madhmoun system, how many approved brokers can advertise the same property at one time?
- One, as an exclusive
- Two
- Three
- Unlimited, as long as each holds a permit
Madhmoun allows up to three approved brokers per property, and the owner is notified and controls who may advertise. Each ad needs a valid Madhmoun permit requested through DARI.
Bayut, ADREC Madhmoun, Abu Dhabi's first MLS (2025) In September 2023, Umm Al Quwain issued six real estate laws. Which of these was one of them?
- A law moving UAQ property registration to the Dubai Land Department
- A law amending UAQ's 2005 real estate brokerage law
- A law letting UAQ banks exceed Central Bank LTV caps
- A law abolishing escrow accounts for off-plan projects
Law No. 7 of 2023 amended Law No. 2 of 2005 on brokerage. The package also created an interim real estate register, regulated development and escrow, set mortgage registration in line with Central Bank rules and protected buyers in delayed projects.
LexisNexis Middle East, Umm Al Quwain: new property laws introduced (2023-09) Abu Dhabi Law No. 2 of 2025, in force since 2 August 2025, tightened escrow rules. Which statement matches it?
- Escrow funds may pay the brokers' commission once 10% of units are sold
- Developers can draw escrow funds from day one to buy the land
- Escrow is now optional for projects under 100 million
- Escrow funds cannot pay for land or brokerage fees, and developers cannot access them before 20% completion
The amendment to Law No. 3 of 2015 bars using escrow money for land acquisition or brokerage fees and blocks withdrawals until at least 20% of construction is done. DMT administrative decisions in March 2026 put these controls into practice.
Horizon Law, Abu Dhabi enacts significant real estate reform (2025-06) Which federal law now sets AML obligations for real estate brokers across the UAE?
- Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025, which replaced Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2018
- Dubai Law No. 85 of 2006
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2018, still unchanged
- Abu Dhabi Law No. 3 of 2015
Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 came into force on 14 October 2025 and repealed the 2018 AML law. It keeps brokers as DNFBPs with due diligence, beneficial ownership checks, sanctions screening and suspicious transaction reporting in every emirate.
Zigram, UAE AML law: guide to Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 (2025) On 2 June 2026, ADREC set the annual rent increase in Abu Dhabi at 0% until further notice. Which properties does this measure NOT cover?
- Commercial properties
- Properties inside Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)
- Villas in investment zones
- Industrial properties
The temporary cap, down from 5%, covers residential, commercial and industrial property across Abu Dhabi, measured against the last Tawtheeq contract. ADGM has its own framework and is excluded. Dubai rents still follow Decree No. 43 of 2013 and the DLD rental index.
A&O Shearman, Abu Dhabi rental pricing reform: the 0% rent cap (2026-06) Off-plan purchases are recorded in an interim register before handover. Which pairing is correct?
- Dubai: Tawtheeq; Abu Dhabi: Oqood
- Dubai: Ejari; Abu Dhabi: Madhmoun
- Dubai: Oqood; Abu Dhabi: the Interim Real Estate Register under Law No. 3 of 2015
- Both use Oqood, a federal register
Dubai records off-plan sales in Oqood at the DLD. Abu Dhabi has its own Interim Real Estate Register under its 2015 real estate law, amended in 2025. Umm Al Quwain created one in 2023 too.
Horizon Law, Abu Dhabi enacts significant real estate reform (2025-06) VAT is federal. How does it treat the sale of residential property, in any emirate?
- 5% on every residential sale
- First supply of a new residential building within 3 years is zero-rated, later residential sales are exempt
- Exempt in Dubai but 5% in the other emirates
- Zero-rated on every sale, new or resale
The Federal Tax Authority zero-rates the first supply of a new residential building within three years of completion and exempts later residential sales. Commercial property is taxed at 5%. The rules are identical in all seven emirates.
Taxscan, UAE FTA clarifies VAT for the real estate sector (2017) - Dubai areas
- Rules and processes
- Money and calculations
- Off-plan
- Leasing
- Sales skills
- Selling Dubai
- Compliance
- Marketing and social media
- Client mastery
- Mindset and performance
- Market cycles and valuation
- Abu Dhabi: rules and areas
- Sharjah: rules and areas
- Ras Al Khaimah: rules and areas
- Ajman: rules and areas
- Umm Al Quwain: rules and areas
- Fujairah: rules and areas
- All Emirates: who does what
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