Dubai skyline lit up at night across the water

UAE buyer's guide · Updated October 2026

Buying a home in the UAE

Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah: who can own where, the fees in each emirate, the steps to your title deed and the papers you need. Plain answers from Al Mithaq Real Estate, Kuwait.

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In 30 seconds

Can a Kuwaiti buy a home in the UAE?

Yes. GCC citizens can buy freehold in all four emirates, and in Dubai and Sharjah the law lets them own across the emirate.

What does it cost on top of the price?

Mainly a registration fee: 4% in Dubai, 2% in Abu Dhabi, 2% for GCC buyers in Sharjah, 2% for the buyer in Ras Al Khaimah.

Do I pay tax on rent or on selling?

No. Individuals in the UAE pay no income tax on rent and no tax on the profit when they sell.

Do I have to travel?

No. You can buy with a power of attorney, and Abu Dhabi also offers a fully online process.

From Kuwait or another GCC country? You have wider rights than most buyers: in Dubai and Sharjah you can own across the emirate, and in Sharjah you pay a 2% fee instead of 4%. Our advisor tells you exactly what applies to the home you like.

The four emirates

Where to buy, and the rules in each emirate

Each emirate has its own land department, its own fees and its own areas open to foreign buyers. Choose an emirate to see its rules.

Dubai Marina at night

Palm Jumeirah at sunset

Downtown Dubai at dusk

The busiest market

Dubai

The widest choice of homes, from city towers to beach villas.

Where you can own

GCC citizens can own anywhere in Dubai. Other nationalities own in the freehold areas set by the Ruler.

Who registers your home

Dubai Land Department. Your title deed is issued in your name, usually as an electronic deed.

Fee on purchase

4% of the price to the Land Department, usually paid by the buyer, plus small title deed and trustee office fees.

Buying off-plan

The sale is registered in the Oqood interim register, and your payments go into the project's escrow account at a bank.

Good to know

Yearly service charges are approved by the regulator and published in the official service charge index.

Popular freehold areas

Downtown Dubai Dubai Marina Palm Jumeirah Business Bay Jumeirah Village Circle Dubai Creek Harbour

See homes in Dubai

Abu Dhabi at night

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island

The capital

Abu Dhabi

Calm island living, culture and some of the most modern new communities in the Gulf.

Where you can own

Buyers who are not UAE nationals own freehold inside the investment areas set by the government. Ask us before you rely on wider rights for GCC citizens.

Who registers your home

Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre, through the TAMM and DARI online services or a service centre.

Fee on purchase

2% registration fee, usually shared by buyer and seller unless the contract says otherwise. Buying from a developer: 2% plus a small fee.

Buying off-plan

Your payments go into the project's escrow account, and the developer is paid from it as the building rises.

Good to know

Abu Dhabi offers a fully online buy and sell journey, signed with UAE PASS, with the identity check done by video call.

Main investment areas

Yas Island Saadiyat Island Al Reem Island Al Maryah Island Al Raha Beach Masdar City

See homes in Abu Dhabi

Sharjah across Khalid Lagoon at night

Al Noor Mosque on Khalid Lagoon

Khor Fakkan and the Hajar Mountains

Family life, next to Dubai

Sharjah

Quiet family neighbourhoods, culture and a coast on both sides of the country.

Where you can own

The law reserves ownership for UAE and GCC citizens, so a Kuwaiti buyer can own. Other nationalities own only in approved projects, or take a usufruct of up to 100 years.

Who registers your home

Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department.

Fee on purchase

A GCC buyer pays 2% plus a small fee. Other foreign freehold buyers pay 4%. The seller pays 1%.

Buying off-plan

Payments go into the project's bank account and are released as building progresses, and the developer must post a bank guarantee.

Good to know

The government has approved 52 projects for buyers of all nationalities so far, 8 of them in 2026.

In short

GCC buyers: 2% fee 52 approved projects for all nationalities Usufruct up to 100 years

See homes in Sharjah

Mangroves and Ras Al Khaimah city

The road up Jebel Jais

Dhayah Fort

Beaches and mountains

Ras Al Khaimah

Islands, beaches and the UAE's highest mountain, about an hour from Dubai.

Where you can own

Foreign buyers own in the official freehold areas. Ask us before you rely on wider rights for GCC citizens.

Who registers your home

Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, Land and Property Sector. The original title deed is usually ready in about 3 working days.

Fee on purchase

4% in total, normally 2% paid by the buyer and 2% by the seller, plus small site plan and title deed fees. We confirm the current fee for your home.

Buying off-plan

The developer needs an off-plan sale permit and a project escrow account, and your instalments go into that account.

Good to know

A new real estate development law issued in July 2026 tightens escrow and buyer protection.

Freehold areas

Al Hamra Village Mina Al Arab Al Marjan Island RAK Central Julphar Towers Al Maareedh

See homes in Ras Al Khaimah

Side by side

The four emirates compared

	Dubai	Abu Dhabi	Sharjah	Ras Al Khaimah
GCC citizens can own	Anywhere in Dubai	Investment areas (we confirm any wider rights)	Yes, the law allows GCC citizens to own	Freehold areas (we confirm any wider rights)
Other nationalities can own	Freehold areas set by the Ruler	Freehold in investment areas	Approved projects only, or usufruct up to 100 years	Official freehold areas
Registration fee on purchase	4%, usually paid by the buyer	2%, usually shared by buyer and seller	GCC buyer 2%, others 4% (seller 1%)	4%, normally 2% buyer and 2% seller
Who registers your home	Dubai Land Department	Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre	Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department	RAK Municipality, Land and Property Sector
Off-plan payments go to	Escrow account for each project	Escrow account, paid out as the building rises	Project bank account and developer bank guarantee	Project escrow account (new law in 2026)
Buying from abroad	Attested power of attorney	Online with UAE PASS, or power of attorney	Power of attorney	Power of attorney

Fees change from time to time. Before you reserve, we give you the current fees for your exact home in writing.

Step by step

From your first question to your title deed

Choose the emirate and the area
Each emirate decides where foreign buyers can own. Make sure the exact home is in an area or project open to your nationality before you pay anything.
Check the developer and the home
For a home still being built, ask for the project registration, the escrow account details, the handover date and the yearly service charge. For a resale home, ask for the title deed and any unpaid charges.
Reserve and sign
For a resale home you sign the official sale contract (in Dubai, Form F) and usually pay a 10% deposit. For a new home you sign the developer's sale and purchase agreement.
Get the no objection certificate
For a resale home in a community, the developer issues a no objection certificate confirming there are no unpaid service charges.
Pay on schedule
For a home still being built, pay only into the project's escrow or project account named in your contract, and keep every receipt.
Register and receive your title deed
The sale is registered with the emirate's land department and you pay the registration fee. For a resale home the deed is issued in your name; for a new home the sale is registered first and the deed follows at handover.
Take the keys
Inspect the home, list anything to fix and sign the handover. Then connect water and electricity, and if you rent it out, register the lease (in Dubai, through Ejari).

The UAE in pictures

Seven emirates, a hundred ways to live

City lights, islands, desert, mountains and two coasts, most of them within two hours of Dubai by car.

Swipe for more →

What it costs

The costs besides the price of the home

Registration feeDubai 4%, usually paid by the buyer. Abu Dhabi 2%, usually shared. Sharjah 2% for GCC buyers and 4% for other nationalities. Ras Al Khaimah 2% for the buyer.

Office and title deed feesSmall fixed fees for the deed and the map. In Dubai the trustee office charges AED 4,000 plus VAT for most homes.

Agent feeUsually about 2% plus 5% VAT on a resale. On a new home bought from the developer, the developer normally pays the agent.

Mortgage registrationOnly if you borrow: Dubai 0.25% of the loan, Abu Dhabi 0.1% (0.05% for housing loans), Sharjah 0.5%.

Yearly service chargePaid for shared areas, security and upkeep. In Dubai the amounts are approved by the regulator and published in the service charge index.

VAT on the homeThere is no VAT on the price of a resale home, and the first sale of a new home is zero-rated.

Before you reserve any home, ask us for a full cost sheet in writing.

Homes by the water, from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah

Dubai Creek Harbour at sunset

Documents

The papers you need

A valid passport (and Emirates ID if you have one)
The signed sale contract or sale and purchase agreement
The developer's no objection certificate, for a resale home
Receipts for every payment
A power of attorney, if someone signs or registers for you

In Dubai, a power of attorney signed abroad must be notarised, legalised by the UAE embassy, attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and issued within the last 2 years.

Buying from abroad

You do not have to fly for every step

You can see homes by video call, reserve and sign many papers from home, and give a person you trust a power of attorney to sign and register for you. In Abu Dhabi the whole purchase can also be done online, signed with UAE PASS. We tell you which way fits your emirate and how to prepare the papers.

Questions

Questions buyers ask us

Can a foreigner buy property anywhere in the UAE?

No. Each emirate sets the areas where foreign buyers can own: freehold areas in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, investment areas in Abu Dhabi and approved projects in Sharjah. GCC citizens have wider rights, most of all in Dubai and Sharjah.

Is my money protected if I buy a home that is still being built?

Yes. In Dubai, Law 8 of 2007 requires your payments to go into an escrow account for that project only. Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah also use project escrow accounts, and Sharjah uses a project bank account backed by a bank guarantee from the developer.

Can I rent the home out?

Yes. In Dubai every lease is registered in Ejari, and short holiday stays need a holiday home permit from the tourism department. Rules differ a little in each emirate, and we explain them for your home.

Can I get a home loan if I do not live in the UAE?

Often yes, but banks usually lend less to buyers who live outside the UAE, and every bank sets its own rules. Ask us and we connect you with banks that lend to buyers from Kuwait.

What happens to the home if the owner dies?

The home passes to the heirs and is registered in their names on a valid inheritance document. Dubai also has a special service for heirs who want to sell.

What does Al Mithaq do for me?

We answer your questions, compare the emirates with you, check the papers, give you a written cost sheet and stay with you from the first call to the keys. Asking us is free.

Free advice

Ask an advisor

Tell us what you want to know. An Al Mithaq advisor calls you back by phone or WhatsApp, usually the same working day.

Ask on WhatsApp

What do you want to know?

Your details go only to Al Mithaq Real Estate's sales team. We never sell them or add you to mailing lists.

Buying a home in the UAE

Where to buy, and the rules in each emirate

Dubai

Abu Dhabi

Sharjah

Ras Al Khaimah

The four emirates compared

From your first question to your title deed

Choose the emirate and the area

Check the developer and the home

Reserve and sign

Get the no objection certificate

Pay on schedule

Register and receive your title deed

Take the keys

Seven emirates, a hundred ways to live

The costs besides the price of the home

Homes by the water, from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah

The papers you need

You do not have to fly for every step

Questions buyers ask us

Ask an advisor

Sources

Picture credits