Freehold on Sheikh Zayed Road and in Al Jaddaf: 457 plots can open to foreign buyers

On 19 January 2025 the Dubai Land Department opened an option that had not existed for decades: private landowners along Sheikh Zayed Road and in Al Jaddaf can convert their plots to freehold. Property on converted land can then be sold outright to buyers of any nationality. It was a quiet announcement, but it redraws the map of where foreigners can own.

Which plots

• 128 on Sheikh Zayed Road — from the World Trade Centre roundabout to Dubai Water Canal, the dense business stretch lined with first-generation office and residential towers.
• 329 in Al Jaddaf — the Creekside district between Healthcare City and Culture Village, already home to many new residential projects.

Before the decision these plots sat outside the freehold zones: property on them could not be sold to foreigners outright, and buildings were mostly let as a whole.

How conversion works

1. The owner checks eligibility in the Dubai REST app.
2. Applies to DLD for a valuation.
3. Pays a fee of 30% of the valuation, calculated on gross floor area.
4. The plot and buildings on it then become freehold for all nationalities.

The fee is steep, so conversion only pays where the freehold premium is large — typically large plots for redevelopment or a building sold unit by unit. DLD had not published figures on completed conversions as of September 2026.

What it means for buyers

New supply for foreign buyers may appear in two long-built central locations, either as older towers sold by the unit or as new projects on converted land; Sheikh Zayed Road has almost no free plots, so every new building there matters. Before buying, check the status of the specific plot: an address on Sheikh Zayed Road may be freehold or not, and that decides registration, mortgage eligibility and residency. The difference is explained in Freehold and leasehold in Dubai. In Al Jaddaf the change reinforces the district as the far-bank extension of Business Bay and Downtown, alongside projects such as Binghatti Cullinan and Art Bay.

Prices, rents and projects are on the Al Jaddaf and Sheikh Zayed Road area pages.