What is Oqood, and why do I not have the title deed?
This is one of the questions I hear most often from people buying an off-plan property in Dubai, meaning before it has been built. You signed the contract and paid the first instalments, but you still do not have the final ownership document. This does not necessarily mean something is missing: a different registration applies while the property is under construction.
The simple answer
Oqood is the system used by the Dubai Land Department, Dubai’s property registry, to record an off-plan sale in the provisional register. The document you receive is an electronic provisional registration certificate. It proves that the purchase contract has been registered, but it is not yet the title deed, the final ownership document.
A practical example
Imagine buying an apartment for AED 1.2 million and paying an initial 20 percent. After the sale and purchase agreement is signed, the developer registers the sale in Oqood. The Dubai Land Department states that the contract must be entered in the provisional register within 90 days of signing. The buyer then receives the certificate electronically.
When the title deed arrives
The title deed comes at a later stage. The project must be completed, the unit must be fully paid and the developer must register the completed project. The property can then move from the provisional register to the final real estate register. A common mistake is to wait for a title deed while the unit is still under construction: at that stage, you should check the Oqood registration instead.
Why Rema Living
A document bearing your name is not enough if you do not know what it represents or which stage of the purchase you have reached. We check the project, developer, contract and registration before saying that everything is in order. To review an off-plan purchase clearly, book a meeting with Rema Living.
What to check now
1. Confirm that both you and the developer signed the contract. 2. Ask for the electronic provisional registration certificate. 3. Check your name, unit and project. 4. If you have no registration confirmation after 90 days, request a written answer from the developer and the Dubai Land Department. Always keep the contract and payment receipts.
