Dubai Holding Real Estate and ADCB team up on off-plan financing

Dubai Holding Real Estate, which brings together Nakheel, Meraas and Dubai Properties, has announced a strategic partnership with ADCB to introduce bespoke financing solutions for off-plan buyers. The stated goal is to make homeownership more accessible, offering clients a simpler financing journey and greater certainty throughout the process, from purchase to handover.

How it works

• At Palm Jebel Ali (Nakheel), The Acres (Meraas) and Nad Al Sheba Gardens, eligible buyers can access ADCB financing once they have paid 50% of the property value to the developer, irrespective of construction progress
• Across the other communities developed by Nakheel, Meraas and Dubai Properties, off-plan financing remains available once the prescribed construction milestones are met
• Rates start from 3.49% per annum, fixed for the first three years; as a launch offer ADCB is waiving processing and valuation fees
• Pre-approval is valid for up to 18 months: the budget is locked in well before handover

When do repayments actually start: the mechanics of an off-plan mortgage

It is the right question to ask, and the answer lies in standard UAE banking practice for under-construction property finance. The bank does not release the whole loan at once: it pays the developer directly, instalment by instalment, following the payment plan linked to the project's escrow account. The funds never pass through the buyer's account.

• Up to the access threshold (here 50%), the buyer pays the developer's instalments from their own funds, following the project's payment plan
• Once the mortgage is activated, each subsequent instalment of the plan is paid by the bank to the developer as it falls due
• During construction the buyer pays interest only on the amounts the bank has actually disbursed: if 10% has been released, interest accrues on that 10%. The monthly outlay therefore grows as further tranches are released
• At handover the facility converts into the full mortgage: from that point regular principal-and-interest instalments start on the total amount drawn, amortised over the chosen term

The practical advantage: during construction the monthly commitment stays light (interest only, on partial disbursements) and the real instalment arrives when the home exists and can be lived in or rented out. What the announcements do not publish is the exact pre-handover treatment within the ADCB programme, which can vary by profile and project: that is the point to get in writing from the mortgage centre at offer stage, together with the rate that applies after the three-year fixed period.

Why it matters: how much off-plan weighs in Dubai's market

Our own Dubai Land Department registry data shows just how much off-plan already drives the residential market: from August 1 to September 16, 2026, it accounted for 71.2% of transactions and 61% of the value traded. In a market where more than seven in ten sales involve properties still under construction, a deal that brings forward the point at which a buyer can access bank financing touches a very concrete lever: cash flow during the buying journey.

What it means for anyone weighing an off-plan purchase

Financing access tied to what has been paid to the developer, rather than to construction progress alone, gives buyers more flexibility when planning a purchase: more clarity on when and how to structure payments, less uncertainty between signing and handover. It is one more tool for anyone considering entering Dubai's off-plan market, alongside choosing the right project and location.