Off-plan mortgage in Dubai: which banks and developers now lend before handover
Damac and ADIB opened finance on projects 35% built once the buyer has paid 50% (March 2025). In 2026 Emirates NBD launched a scheme for Meraas, Nakheel and Dubai Properties from 30% completion, and ADCB a 12-month pre-approval from 3.49%.
Until recently a Dubai mortgage was a product for finished homes: an off-plan buyer paid the developer out of pocket and could only bring in a bank near handover. Since 2025 banks and the largest developers have started attaching finance earlier in the build. Here is what is available in autumn 2026.
Damac and ADIB: from 35% completion
In March 2025 Damac and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank launched a scheme letting buyers take finance once a project is 35% complete, provided they have paid at least 50% of the price. The market’s informal threshold had been 50% completion. It covers eligible Damac projects past the 35% mark; examples cited included Cavalli Tower by Dubai Media City, Damac Lagoons and Damac Hills 2.
The 2026 schemes
| Bank and partner | When | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| ADIB + Damac | March 2025 | 35% built, at least 50% paid |
| Emirates NBD + Dubai Holding Real Estate (Meraas, Nakheel, Dubai Properties) | April 2026 | 50% paid, 30% built; residents and non-residents |
| ADCB | April 2026 | Up to 50% of value, from 3.49% fixed for 3 years, 12-month pre-approval renewable to handover |
Abu Dhabi has gone further, with finance of up to 75% from the start of construction — see Off-plan mortgages arrive in Abu Dhabi.
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Why never more than 50%
Every Dubai scheme repeats the same figure: half the price from your own funds. That follows UAE Central Bank rules capping loan-to-value on off-plan homes at 50%, against up to 80% for a resident buying a finished one. So an off-plan mortgage does not lower the entry cheque; it replaces the second half of the payment plan — the part that usually falls in the final years and at handover.
What it changes
- Less handover risk. The classic off-plan problem is a large final payment the bank may refuse to fund; early pre-approval removes that uncertainty.
- Interest starts earlier. A loan drawn during construction accrues interest before any rent comes in; compare it with the developer’s usually interest-free plan.
- Rates matter. The CBUAE raised its base rate to 3.90% in September 2026 — see our note on the rate hike.
Scale explains the shift: DLD recorded more than 270,000 transactions worth AED 917bn in 2025, and off-plan made up over 70% of residential deals. A market that buys mostly off-plan pulls lenders onto the building site — projects eligible under the first scheme are on the Damac developer page.
Video on this topic
The same subject on the English channel — each clip has a written version of its own.
25:03Harbour Lights by Damac and de GRISOGONO: prices, sizes and what the brand costs14 February 2023
1:38Binghatti Hills at Arjan: the volume play, examined10 September 2025
1:31Binghatti Haven in Dubai Sports City: cheap for a reason, or cheap for a good reason?9 September 2025
28:23Peninsula Four The Plaza by Select Group: what you are actually buying2 March 2025
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