One of the first questions from buyers abroad is simple: can I actually own it? In the UAE the answer depends on the emirate and on where the property is, because each emirate sets its own rules. This guide covers Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the two emirates we work in.
Freehold, leasehold and the terms you will see#
The words are familiar to UK buyers, but the detail differs. The definitions below follow The National and the UAE government portal.
| Term | What it means | Typical length |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | You own the property and the land it stands on | No time limit |
| Leasehold | You hold the property for a fixed term without owning the land | Up to 99 years for foreigners in Dubai's designated areas |
| Usufruct | The right to use and benefit from someone else's property, without altering it | 99 years in Abu Dhabi, per the UAE portal |
| Musataha | The right to build on or develop someone else's land | 50 years in Abu Dhabi, renewable, per the UAE portal |
| Long-term lease (Abu Dhabi) | A lease with a long initial term | At least 25 years, per the UAE portal |
Dubai: areas designated by the Ruler#
Dubai Law No. 7 of 2006 on real property registration restricts ownership in the emirate to UAE and GCC nationals, companies wholly owned by them and public joint stock companies. It then allows that, with the Ruler's approval, non-UAE nationals may be granted freehold ownership without time limit, or usufruct or leasehold for up to 99 years, in areas the Ruler determines.
Those areas were first set out in Regulation No. 3 of 2006, which lists them by named area and land plot. It includes, among others, Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, Emirates Hills, Jebel Ali, Palm Jebel Ali, Al Barsha South, Al Jaddaf, Mirdif and parts of Sheikh Zayed Road. One plot in Nad Al Sheba was opened for usufruct or leasehold only, not freehold, a reminder that the detail is set plot by plot.
Further land has been added since. Resolutions in 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2022 added plots in areas including Madinat Al Mataar, Trade Centre Second and Zabeel. We have not found a single official, up-to-date consolidated list of every freehold plot, which is one reason to check each property on its own records rather than by the name of the area.
In January 2025, DLD opened a new route: private owners of eligible plots along Sheikh Zayed Road, from Trade Centre Roundabout to the Dubai Water Canal, and in Al Jaddaf can convert their ownership to freehold for all nationalities, paying a conversion fee of 30% of the property's valuation. It applies plot by plot, at the owner's choice; it does not make the whole area freehold.
The DLD sums it up simply: Emiratis and GCC citizens can own anywhere in Dubai, while foreigners can own in freehold areas. Our community guides describe what each area is like to live in, including two named in the 2006 regulation, Dubai Marina and Emirates Hills; for any specific home, the plot and the title deed are what confirm the position.
Why the register matters#
Under Law No. 7 of 2006, Dubai's property register is conclusive evidence of ownership, unless shown to result from fraud or forgery, and a property transaction is not valid until it is recorded in it. That is why the title deed, issued by DLD and now electronic, is the document that matters. A developer selling off-plan must also be building on land in a freehold or long-term lease area before DLD will register the project.
Abu Dhabi: investment zones#
Abu Dhabi's rules are in Law No. 19 of 2005 on real property, as amended by Law No. 13 of 2019, issued in April 2019. Outside designated investment zones, ownership is limited to UAE nationals and their equivalents, certain public joint stock companies, and people specifically approved by the emirate's leadership. Inside the investment zones, non-UAE nationals, individuals and companies, may own and deal in property rights, including ownership of the land.
Before 2019, the law allowed foreigners in investment zones to own floors of a building but not the land, or to hold usufruct for up to 99 years or musataha for up to 50 years. Those longer-term rights still exist, and the UAE portal still describes expatriates receiving 99-year ownership deeds that exclude the land, so check which kind of title a particular property carries.
Investment zones are designated by the Executive Council. The UAE government portal names nine areas where foreigners can buy, including Yas Island, Saadiyat, Reem, Al Raha Beach and Masdar City. The Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) reported in July 2026 that eight new investment zones approved in the first half of the year took the total to 50, open to buyers of all nationalities. Our guides to Yas Island, Saadiyat Island and Al Reem Island cover three of them.
How to check a specific property#
Before you commit to a property
- Ask for the title deed (or, off-plan, the Oqood registration) and check the type of ownership it gives: freehold, leasehold, usufruct or musataha.
- Confirm the property's plot sits in a designated freehold area (Dubai) or investment zone (Abu Dhabi).
- For Abu Dhabi, check whether the ownership includes the land or only the unit.
- If a seller mentions a freehold conversion on Sheikh Zayed Road or in Al Jaddaf, ask whether it has been completed and the fee paid.
- Make sure the transfer will be registered with the Land Department (Dubai) or the relevant Abu Dhabi authority.
Once you know where you can buy, the next questions are cost and timing. Read the real cost of buying, look through our partners to see who is building where, or open the map.
If you are not sure about a property you have seen, ask us and we will share what the seller's documents and the public records show. The title deed and the Land Department's records are the final word, and a lawyer can confirm the title before you commit.
