Dubai Land Department

DLD provides outstanding services to all its customers and develops the necessary legislation to propel Dubai’s real estate sector by organising and promoting real estate investment and spreading industry knowledge. DLD seeks regional and worldwide innovation in real estate with the aid of its active sectors by directing its efforts towards achieving sustainable development in the real estate sector, adopting international practices and adapting them to the unique characteristics of the emirate’s property market through effective cooperation between its various sectors and agencies, represented by: the Real Estate Regulatory Agency, the Real Estate Development sector, the Real Estate Registration sector, and the Corporate Support Sector.

DLD was formerly known in the 1950s as the Land Registry Department. It was the first entity to handle properties and ownership affairs until HH Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, one of the Founding Fathers of the UAE, established the Land Affairs Commission, granting it the authority to document and audit certificates and examine and map properties.

HH Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, a veteran and a man known for his expertise and insightful policy, initiated the Land and Property Department on 23 January 1960, founding the most important real estate sector in the Middle East and the world.

DLD falls under the umbrella of Dubai’s Executive Council, headed by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, and strives to provide a range of real estate services. The most prominent of these services are documenting of property sales and purchases, issuing real estate ownership, organising and promoting investments, and spreading knowledge and culture pertaining to a well-trained and qualified national cadre in the real estate sector. The department strives to provide the best services to its clients and to facilitate customers’ transactions, a culture inspired by the competitive and excellence, achieving sustainable urban development, and adopting the comprehensive concept of integrated quality of life, in line with the Dubai 2040 | Urban Master Plan & Sustainable Development and the National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031.

In 2013, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, issued Law No. (7) 2013 defining Dubai Land Department’s objectives as the government entity responsible for the registration, organisation, and promotion of real estate investments in Dubai. The Law aims to provide an attractive environment for investments by implementing international standards to enhance the development and growth of this vital sector, given its prominent position in the local economy.

DLD seeks to achieve the objectives of Dubai Government’s strategy in the real estate sector and improve land registration procedures according to the latest international systems and practices in the real estate sector. This aligns with a framework of strategic objectives to plan and develop an integrated strategy to enhance the emirate’s real estate industry. The strategy will also help improve the sector’s control and monitoring competency, oversee and develop its leasing regulations, and encourage investments by establishing appropriate environments to promote the role of real estate in Dubai’s comprehensive development plan.