How to Check Construction Progress on a Dubai Off-Plan Property

How to use Dubai Land Department’s official project-status service to check an off-plan project’s recorded progress, site images and escrow account number, and where the limits of that check begin.

By CYRA Editorial Team · September 2026

Key Takeaways

1. Dubai Land Department’s Project Status Enquiry service, also known as Mashrooi, shows the officially recorded completion percentage and project details for an off-plan project, through the Dubai REST app and the DLD website.

2. Search by registered project name, project number or land number, and confirm the result matches your SPA, developer, location and phase before relying on it.

3. Dubai REST may display the project’s escrow account number. That lets you check payment instructions against the official record, but it is not a live view of the account balance.

4. A status label such as active, completed or cancelled is a prompt for the next question, not a final answer about your unit.

5. Save a dated record of every check alongside your SPA and receipts, and get a written explanation and independent advice before acting on any inconsistency.

When you buy an off-plan property, progress should be verified through more than construction updates, marketing videos, or messages from a sales team. Dubai Land Department (DLD) provides a Project Status Enquiry service—also known as Mashrooi—that allows buyers and other users to review official project information, including the reported completion percentage and project details.

This guide explains how to check construction progress on a Dubai off-plan property, what to look for in the results, and where the limits of a status check begin. It is general information, not legal, investment, financial, or tax advice. Project records, payment obligations, handover dates, and buyer rights must always be checked against the signed sale and purchase agreement (SPA), current DLD records, and advice tailored to the transaction.

Dubai REST App Project Status: The Official Starting Point

Dubai REST is DLD’s digital real-estate platform. For off-plan projects, DLD says the app can provide real-time project information including the completion percentage, actual project pictures, the escrow account number, and payments due from owners who have invested in the project.

To use the Dubai REST app project status service, download Dubai REST from the Apple App Store or Google Play, then look for Project Status (Mashrooi). DLD also provides Project Status Enquiry through its website and states that users can search using a land number, project number, or project name. If you cannot find the project through the app, use the official DLD web service or contact DLD through its published channels for assistance.

Before you search, gather the exact project name and, if available, the DLD project number and land number. Names can be similar across developments, phases, and towers. The more precise the identifier, the lower the chance of reviewing the wrong project.

How to Check Construction Progress Dubai Off Plan Step by Step

Use this simple process before purchasing an off-plan unit and periodically after you have signed.

• Open the official DLD Project Status Enquiry service on the DLD website, or access Project Status (Mashrooi) in Dubai REST.
• Search using the registered project name, project number, or land number.
• Confirm that the displayed project matches your SPA, reservation form, unit documents, developer, location, and phase.
• Review the reported construction-completion percentage.
• Check the project’s dates, inspection information, and site images where these appear.
• Note the displayed escrow-account number and compare it with the payment instructions and documentation you received.
• Save a dated record of your result, such as a PDF printout or screenshot, alongside your SPA, receipts, and developer correspondence.
• If information appears inconsistent, ask the developer for a written explanation and seek independent professional advice before making further decisions.

A search result is a due-diligence input, not a prediction or guarantee. Construction completion can be affected by approvals, utilities, supply chains, contractor performance, financing, variations, and other practical factors. Do not use a percentage alone to assume a fixed handover date or a particular resale value.

Dubai Off Plan Escrow Balance Check: What You Can and Cannot Verify

A common search is “dubai off plan escrow balance check,” but it is important to understand the difference between confirming an escrow account exists and accessing an account’s full financial balance.

Dubai’s escrow-account law defines an escrow account as the bank account for a real-estate development project into which payments by off-plan purchasers or project financiers are deposited. The law requires a developer that wishes to sell off-plan units to apply to DLD to open an escrow account. It also provides that each project’s escrow account is opened in the project’s name and is dedicated exclusively to construction of that project.

Dubai REST may display the project’s escrow-account number. That is useful for checking whether the account referenced in your payment instructions aligns with the project information shown through DLD. It does not necessarily mean that every buyer can see the live account balance, every withdrawal, or the full financial position of the project.

The same law says that depositors or their representatives may access their own accounting records and request copies. The exact information available, the method for requesting it, and any entitlement to it should be confirmed with the escrow agent, DLD, and a UAE-qualified legal adviser. Do not assume an app display replaces formal records or professional due diligence.

Before paying an instalment, verify:

• The payee and bank details match the formal instructions in your SPA or developer documentation.
• The payment reference identifies the correct project and, where required, your unit or buyer record.
• You receive a bank confirmation and a developer receipt.
• The payment schedule matches the signed SPA.
• Any construction-linked payment milestone has been evidenced in the manner required by your contract.

Never send an off-plan payment to a broker’s personal account, an unverified third party, or changed bank details received only through a message. Independently validate any change through a known official contact channel. Our guide to buying property in Dubai without visiting covers payment verification for overseas buyers in more detail.

Dubai Project Status Codes Meaning: Read the Record in Context

Project-status labels can help you understand the broad stage recorded for a project, but their wording and availability may vary in the DLD service. DLD’s Project Status Enquiry exists to show the completion percentage and details of a real-estate project in Dubai; the information shown may be updated as inspections and records change.

In practice, you may encounter labels such as active, completed or finished, and cancelled. Treat the label as a prompt for the next question, not as a final answer.

• Active: The project is recorded as ongoing. Check the current completion percentage, inspection date, site images, projected dates if shown, your SPA payment milestones, and any update from the developer.
• Completed or finished: The construction status may indicate completion, but your individual unit may still require handover procedures, settlement of outstanding amounts, snagging, completion documentation, and ownership-registration steps.
• Cancelled: Do not rely on informal messages, social-media posts, or a sales representative’s explanation. Preserve all documents, confirm the official record, and obtain legal advice on the applicable process and your specific contractual position.

A project can also have separate phases, buildings, or unit types. Ensure that the status you are viewing applies to the exact phase and project in your signed agreement.

Mashrooi Dubai Project Tracking: What to Review Each Time

“Mashrooi” means “My Project” and is DLD’s project-status enquiry service. Mashrooi Dubai project tracking is most useful when you make it a repeatable review, not a one-off check just before buying.

At each review, compare the official information with your own transaction file. Record the date you searched, the search identifier used, the completion percentage shown, project images or inspection details available, escrow-account number displayed, and any new developer communication.

Pay particular attention to changes or mismatches such as:

• The project name or developer does not match your contract.
• The project cannot be found using the information supplied to you.
• The reported progress appears inconsistent with the dates or payment demands in your SPA.
• Payment instructions do not align with the project details or escrow information available through DLD.
• You receive a request to pay faster, pay differently, or pay a different recipient than stated in the contract.
• The developer’s explanation of a delay is not provided in writing.

A careful record can help you ask clearer questions and preserve evidence. It does not by itself determine whether a developer has breached a contract or whether a buyer is entitled to a refund, compensation, or another remedy. Those issues depend on the SPA, applicable law, official processes, and the specific facts.

Compare Official Progress With Your SPA

Your SPA should be read alongside, not replaced by, the project-status record. Review the clauses on construction milestones, payment dates, anticipated completion, notice periods, delay, force majeure, cancellation, default, and dispute resolution.

If your payment plan refers to construction milestones, ask how the developer measures each milestone and what evidence supports a payment request. If the SPA contains a projected completion date, remember that a projected date is not automatically an unconditional guarantee. The legal significance of delay depends on the contract wording and the facts.

If you have concerns, prepare a short evidence file before contacting the developer or seeking advice:

• Signed SPA and all addenda.
• Reservation form and unit details.
• Payment schedule, receipts, bank confirmations, and invoices.
• DLD/Mashrooi search results saved with dates.
• Developer emails, letters, portal updates, and meeting notes.
• A clear timeline of key promises, payment requests, construction updates, and questions raised.

This evidence-led approach is more useful than relying on a single screenshot or broad market commentary.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy

A project-status search is especially valuable before you sign an off-plan contract. It sits within a wider set of pre-purchase checks, which our guide to off-plan due diligence in Dubai sets out in full. Ask the developer or authorised representative to answer the following questions in writing where possible:

• What is the registered project name and DLD project number?
• Which exact phase, tower, building, and unit is covered by the SPA?
• What is the project’s escrow-account number, and how must payments be made?
• What payment milestones apply to my unit, and what evidence supports each request?
• What is the expected completion date stated in the SPA?
• Which party will register the initial sale, and what confirmation will I receive?
• What happens if the project timetable changes?
• Where can I find the complete written terms for cancellation, default, fees, and handover?

If the answers are unclear, incomplete, or different from the contract, pause. Independent legal and financial advice can be particularly valuable before sending a reservation payment or signing a long-term payment commitment.

When to Escalate a Concern

Contact the developer first for a written explanation when the issue is administrative and the records appear to match. Escalate more cautiously when there is a material discrepancy, an unexplained request for money, a status that does not match the documentation, or a potentially serious delay or cancellation issue.

You may need to contact DLD through its official service channels, the relevant escrow agent, your bank or payment provider, or a UAE-qualified lawyer depending on the issue. Use the DLD website, Dubai REST, and published DLD contact routes rather than links sent in unsolicited messages.

Do not stop paying or attempt to cancel a contract based solely on a project-status screen, online commentary, or informal advice. That could have contractual consequences. Obtain advice specific to the SPA and the official project record first.

A Practical Monitoring Routine

For many buyers, a monthly or milestone-based check is a reasonable starting habit. Check more frequently when a contractual instalment, expected completion date, material developer notice, or concern arises.

Keep a simple table in your transaction file with the date, completion percentage, inspection date shown, escrow-account number shown, next SPA payment date, developer update, and action required. This turns scattered updates into a usable record and makes it easier to identify discrepancies early.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check construction progress on a Dubai off-plan property?

Use Dubai Land Department’s Project Status Enquiry service, available as Project Status (Mashrooi) in the Dubai REST app and on the DLD website. Search by the registered project name, project number or land number, confirm the result matches your SPA, developer, location and phase, then review the reported completion percentage, dates, inspection information and site images.

What is Mashrooi in Dubai?

Mashrooi, meaning “My Project”, is Dubai Land Department’s project-status enquiry service. It shows the recorded completion percentage and details of a real-estate project in Dubai, and it is most useful as a repeatable review rather than a one-off check before buying.

Can I check the escrow balance of a Dubai off-plan project?

Not necessarily. Dubai REST may display the project’s escrow account number, which lets you check that your payment instructions align with the official record. That does not mean every buyer can see the live balance, every withdrawal or the project’s full financial position. Dubai’s escrow law lets depositors access their own accounting records; confirm what is available with the escrow agent, DLD and a UAE-qualified legal adviser.

What does a completed project status mean for my unit?

A completed or finished status may indicate that construction is complete, but your individual unit may still require handover procedures, settlement of outstanding amounts, snagging, completion documentation and ownership-registration steps.

What should I do if my off-plan project shows as cancelled?

Do not rely on informal messages, social-media posts or a sales representative’s explanation. Preserve all documents, confirm the official record with DLD, and obtain legal advice on the applicable process and your specific contractual position. Do not stop paying or attempt to cancel a contract based solely on a status screen.

How often should I check my off-plan project’s status?

For many buyers a monthly or milestone-based check is a reasonable starting habit, with more frequent checks when an instalment, expected completion date, material developer notice or concern arises. Save a dated record of each result alongside your SPA and receipts.

Final Thoughts

The safest way to monitor an off-plan property is to combine official DLD information with the documents that govern your purchase. Dubai REST and Mashrooi can help you check recorded project progress, pictures, inspection-related information, and the escrow-account number. Your SPA, receipts, written developer communications, and professional advice remain essential for understanding your individual obligations and options.

Use the official project-status service before buying, save dated evidence after you buy, and investigate inconsistencies before sending further funds or making contractual decisions. For the wider picture on ownership, costs and residency, see our international buyer’s guide to Dubai property.

Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal, investment, financial or tax advice. Operational features of DLD services and legal requirements may change. Always confirm current requirements with Dubai Land Department, the developer, the escrow agent and a UAE-qualified professional before acting or committing funds.