UAE Property AI — Knowledge Base v0.1
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SECTION 1 — DLD FEES (Dubai Land Department)
Mandatory fees on every Dubai property purchase
| Fee | Amount | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| **DLD transfer fee** | **4% of property price** | Officially split 2%/2% buyer/seller, but in practice buyer pays full 4% |
| Trustee/registration fee | AED 2,000 + 5% VAT (property < AED 500K) <br> AED 4,000 + 5% VAT (property ≥ AED 500K) | Buyer |
| Title deed issuance | AED 580 (apartments/offices) <br> AED 430 (land) <br> AED 40 (off-plan / Oqood) | Buyer |
| Admin fee | ~AED 580 | Buyer |
Additional fees if mortgage involved
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Mortgage registration | 0.25% of loan amount + AED 290 admin |
| Property valuation | AED 2,500–3,500 |
| Bank arrangement/processing | 0.5–1% of loan (varies by bank) |
Other situational fees
| Situation | Fee |
|---|---|
| NOC from developer (resale) | AED 500–5,000 |
| Mortgage release (selling mortgaged property) | AED 1,290 |
| Off-plan Oqood registration | 4% of property value + AED 1,000–5,000 developer admin |
| Real estate agent commission | 2% + 5% VAT (typical) |
Rule of thumb for buyers
Critical 2026 update
Payment methods accepted
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SECTION 2 — GOLDEN VISA (Property Route)
The threshold
What changed in Feb 2026 (the big one)
Eligibility requirements
Joint ownership rules
Multiple property combination
Visa benefits
Process
Other property-linked visas
Key warning
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SECTION 3 — CBUAE MORTGAGE RULES
Loan-to-Value (LTV) — the regulated maximums
UAE Nationals
Expats (UAE residents)
Non-residents (overseas buyers)
Off-plan properties — ALL categories
Other CBUAE rules
| Rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Maximum tenor | 25 years |
| Maximum age at last repayment | Determined by lender (was 65 expats / 70 nationals; abolished, now lender discretion) |
| Maximum Debt Burden Ratio (DBR) | 50% of monthly income |
| Maximum financing multiple | 7× annual income (expats), 8× (UAE nationals) |
| Acceptable repayment source | Salary or verifiable business/rental income |
| End of Service Benefit | NOT allowed as repayment source |
| Interest-only deferred period | Investment loans only, max 5 years from drawdown |
Eligibility basics (typical bank requirements)
Credit score (AECB) bands
Pre-approval timeline
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SECTION 4 — CURRENT MORTGAGE RATES
Macro context
Conventional banks (April 2026)
| Bank | Lowest fixed rate | Typical fixed range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emirates NBD | 3.99% | 3.99–4.99% | Strong digital app, flexible repayment |
| First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) | 3.99% | 3.99–4.49% | Zero processing fee for first-time buyers w/ salary transfer |
| ADCB | 3.99% | 3.99–4.25% | Quick approvals, balance transfer available |
| Mashreq | 3.79% (2yr fixed) | 3.79–4.49% | First-time-buyer programme; younger demographic focus |
| HSBC | ~4.00% | 4.00–4.99% | Strong for non-residents and high-income expats |
| Standard Chartered | ~4.25% | 4.25–4.99% | Non-resident specialist |
Islamic banks (April 2026)
| Bank | Lowest profit rate | Structure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emirates Islamic (Manzili) | 3.49% (3yr fixed flat) | Murabaha or Ijara | Up to 85% UAE nationals / 80% expats |
| Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) | 3.75% | Murabaha / Ijara hybrid | Up to ~85% financing |
| ADIB | 3.99% (3yr fixed) | Murabaha or Ijara | Reverts to 1mo EIBOR + 1.79% after fixed period |
Non-resident (overseas buyer) rates
Refinance window (Apr 2026)
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SECTION 5 — ISLAMIC FINANCE STRUCTURES
Murabaha (cost-plus sale)
**When it works best:** customers who want price certainty and immediate ownership.
Ijara (lease-to-own)
**When it works best:** customers who want lower initial payments and accept ownership-at-end.
Musharaka (diminishing partnership)
CBUAE applies same rules
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SECTION 6 — DUBAI FREEHOLD ZONES (where expats can buy)
Premium tier (AED 2,500–6,000+/sqft)
Upper-mid (AED 1,500–2,500/sqft)
Mid (AED 900–1,500/sqft)
Affordable (AED 600–1,000/sqft)
Entry-level (AED 400–700/sqft)
Newest additions (2023–2025)
EXPLICITLY OFF-LIMITS to foreigners (no freehold)
Yields by tier (Q1 2026)
Q1 2026 market data
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SECTION 7 — VISA-RESIDENCY MATRIX (relevant to property)
| Visa | Property threshold | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard residence | None (linked to job/sponsor) | 2 years | Required for most local mortgages |
| 2-year Property Investor (Taskeen) | AED 750,000+ | 2 years | Renewable |
| 5-year Property Investor | Specific thresholds | 5 years | Less common |
| 10-year Golden Visa | AED 2,000,000+ | 10 years | Self-sponsored, no min stay |
| Green Visa | None (income/skill based) | 5 years | AED 15K/month salary or AED 360K/year freelance |
| Blue Visa (new 2026) | None | 10 years | Environmental contribution |
Income thresholds also relevant
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SECTION 8 — KEY BUYER WARNINGS / GOTCHAS
Top mistakes the AI must catch
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SECTION 9 — WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW / GAPS IN THIS KB
Honest list of what's missing for v1 launch:
Data we still need to compile
Process flows we haven't documented yet
Listings data
Bank rate refresh process
Things that change frequently and need monitoring
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SECTION 10 — SOURCING METHODOLOGY
Where these facts come from
How facts get refreshed
Confidence levels
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SECTION 11 — THE AI AGENT SYSTEM PROMPT (v0.1 draft)
```
You are an AI property advisor for the UAE. Your job is to help non-Emirati
buyers (expats and investors) understand the UAE property market and make
informed decisions.
CORE RULES:
1. You are an information platform, NOT a licensed mortgage broker, real
estate agent, lawyer, or financial advisor. You explain options; you do
not recommend specific products.
2. Always cite the data you use. If a fact is dated (e.g. bank rates),
mention the date.
3. Always remind users that final advice for transactions must come from
licensed parties.
4. If you do not know something, say so. Never invent rates, fees, or rules.
5. Default language: English. Switch to Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, or Russian if
the user does.
DATA YOU HAVE ACCESS TO:
- DLD fees structure (this knowledge base)
- Golden Visa rules including the Feb 2026 update (this knowledge base)
- CBUAE mortgage caps and DBR rules (this knowledge base)
- Current April 2026 bank mortgage rates (this knowledge base)
- Dubai freehold zones (60+ areas; this knowledge base)
- Property listings: [TO BE WIRED — Bayut Dubai apartments scraper]
WHEN USER ASKS ABOUT:
- "How much can I afford?" → Ask: salary, residency, dependents, existing
debt. Apply CBUAE rules: 50% DBR, 7x income (expat) or 8x (national),
appropriate LTV cap. Show 3 banks' rate offers.
- "Can I get a Golden Visa?" → Confirm AED 2M valuation rule. Apply Feb 2026
change (no 50% rule). Check property is in freehold zone.
- "What are the total costs?" → Walk through 4% DLD + trustee + title deed +
agent + (if mortgage) 0.25% reg + valuation. Show total as % of price.
- "Murabaha vs conventional?" → Explain: same end cost roughly, different
structure. Murabaha = fixed sale margin. Ijara = lease-to-own. Both
Sharia-compliant.
- "Where can I buy?" → If foreign national, list freehold zones matching
budget. Warn about non-freehold areas (Bur Dubai, Deira, Karama, etc.)
ALWAYS END WITH:
"This is information only. For licensed advice on your specific situation,
talk to a CBUAE-licensed mortgage broker, a RERA-registered agent, or a
qualified UAE lawyer."
```
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SECTION 12 — VERSION HISTORY
| Version | Date | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | 2026-04-26 | Initial KB. DLD fees, Golden Visa, CBUAE rules, freehold zones, current bank rates, Islamic finance basics. Dubai-only. |
| 0.2 | TBD | Add Abu Dhabi. Add scraped listings layer. Add weekly rate refresh. |
| 0.3 | TBD | Add building-level service charges. Add area programmatic guides. |
| 1.0 | TBD | Public launch readiness. |