How to Check a RAK Off-Plan Project Before You Pay: The Official Register, the Real Developer, and the Escrow Account

Written by EuroEstates Properties
Tower cranes above residential towers under construction on the Ras Al Khaimah coast, illustrating how to check a RAK off-plan project before you pay.

EuroEstates Investor's Lounge · 26 October 2026 · Companion to RAK Off-Plan Law 10 of 2026: Buyer Protection Explained

Summary: RAK Municipality's Real Estate Regulatory Administration publishes an official list of off-plan projects and their registered developers on its Sanad knowledge portal. The version we checked (last updated 7 September 2026) has 81 numbered entries. Under RAK Law No. 10 of 2026, a developer may not offer off-plan units for sale until the project is in the official project register (Article 7) and has a sales permit (Article 13), and buyers must pay only into the project's escrow sub-account (Article 32). The list shows names only, with no escrow details, construction progress or handover dates. RAK off-plan protection works only if you use it as the first check, not the only one.

What is the RAK off-plan register?

"Off-plan" means buying a home before it is built, usually on a payment plan. Law No. 10 of 2026 sets up two official registers. Nobody may work as a developer without being in the developer register (Article 4). No project may start works or offer units for sale before it is in the project register (Article 7). Both are kept by RAK Municipality's Real Estate Regulatory Administration, often called "RERA RAK". Its public list is titled "RERA Updated Off Plan Project list":

https://sanad.mun.rak.ae/docs/en/rera-updated-developers-list

On 26 October 2026 it listed 81 projects, each with its registered developer.

The Municipality's Real Estate Regulatory page on mun.rak.ae adds PDFs: a "List of Developers" (May 2026) with statuses such as "Registered", "On Hold" or "Canceled"; a "List of Projects and Status" (completed, in progress, on hold, not active, cancelled); the approved escrow banks; and public notices, including three names with no registered project: "Aqua Properties", "ELARA" and "MARSHEL RESIDENCES".

How do I check if an off-plan project is registered in RAK?

Open the list and search the page (Ctrl+F, or "Find in page" on a phone). Use a short keyword such as "Nobu", because spellings vary; the list writes "RITZ-CARTON", for example. Keep three limits in mind:

  1. It covers off-plan projects. A finished building with a completion certificate (the Municipality's confirmation that construction is complete) may not appear.
  2. It is dated. A project launched after 7 September 2026 may simply not be added yet. That is a reason to ask, not a reason to pay.
  3. Listed is not the same as healthy. Check the status PDF too.

If the project is missing, ask the developer in writing for its project registration certificate and sales permit, and confirm them with RERA RAK before paying any booking fee.

Is my developer registered in RAK? Brand vs. developer

The name on the hoarding is often a hotel or fashion brand, not the company you contract with. The register shows who the legal developer is. Examples from the 7 September 2026 list:

Project as marketed Registered developer on the list
Nobu Hotel and Residences Al Marjan Island Enevoria Development FZ-LLC
W Hotel and Residences Al Marjan Island Dalands Holding FZ-LLC
Address Residences Al Marjan Island EMAAR Development P.S.C
Armani Beach Residences RAK Properties Co Public JSC
Jacob & Co. Residences by Mantra Mantra Properties FZ-LLC
Janu Hotel and Branded Residences North East Island 3 FZ-LLC
JW Marriott Residences White Oak Wealth Global FZ-LLC

This is not a warning sign in itself. Brands license their names, and developers often use one company per project. What matters is that the seller named in your contract is the company on the register. If it isn't, ask why before you sign.

"FZ-LLC" is a free-zone company, often licensed by RAK Economic Zone (RAKEZ). Law 10 applies across the emirate, economic zones included (Article 2). On Al Marjan Island and similar communities, the building's developer is usually a sub-developer on land from the master developer that plans the whole area. A sub-developer needs the master developer's approval to sell off-plan (Article 12).

How do I check off-plan escrow in RAK?

An escrow account is a bank account opened in the project's name, not the developer's. Money comes out only with RERA RAK's approval and only for building the project (Article 34), and the developer's creditors can't seize it (Article 41). Each registered project needs one at an approved bank (Article 31); the Municipality's 2026 list has 18. You pay into your unit's own escrow sub-account, and the developer may not take any part of the price outside escrow or deduct the broker's commission from it (Article 32).

What to check: the payment instructions should name the project, the bank and the account, and the bank should be on the Municipality's list. If you are asked to pay a booking fee to a company operating account, a broker or a card link, stop.

What should I check about the sales permit, marketing and the broker?

  • Sales permit: no off-plan sale before RERA RAK issues one (Article 13). Ask for a copy.
  • Advertising permit: advertising or exhibiting off-plan units, in local or foreign media and fairs, needs a RERA RAK permit (Article 14). A stand at an overseas expo proves nothing by itself.
  • Broker: the developer must register its marketing agreement with a Municipality-accredited broker (Article 5(3)). Ask the broker for their RAK registration and the developer's confirmation that they may sell the project. We found no public lookup for individual brokers, so get it in writing.

How do I check construction progress on a RAK off-plan project?

You have the right to see all data on your project and unit, including rights and restrictions on it, and to be told of changes (Article 18). Developers report progress to RERA RAK (Article 24), and RERA RAK's process includes periodic inspection reports from the escrow bank or a Municipality inspector.

Ask in writing for the latest completion percentage (how much of the work is done) and compare it with your schedule. If an instalment is tied to a stage the developer hasn't reached, you may withhold it, provided you tell the developer in writing before it falls due (Article 19).

What should I check in the SPA before signing?

The SPA (sale and purchase agreement) is your contract with the developer. It follows a reservation form; the developer must sign the SPA within 30 days and can't sell your unit to anyone else meanwhile (Article 16). Check:

  1. Seller: the same company as on the register.
  2. Payment plan: instalments tied to construction percentages, not just dates. That is what makes Article 19 usable.
  3. Area: the net area (the unit's own floor space, excluding shared corridors) plus its share of common areas (Article 15). A shortfall above 5% must be compensated (Article 5(7)).
  4. Handover date: a clear date. The completion deadline set at registration can stretch by up to 12 months unless RERA RAK decides otherwise (Article 36).
  5. Default terms: Article 20 sets the missed-payment process and caps; see our Law 10 guide.
  6. Registration: the developer must record your purchase in the initial real estate register, RAK's register of off-plan sales (similar in purpose to Dubai's Oqood). If it delays, you can ask RERA RAK to register it yourself (Article 17).
  7. Parking and swaps: parking is registered with the unit (Article 5(5)), and the developer can't swap your unit without your consent (Article 22).

Step-by-step checklist: check an off-plan project in RAK

  1. Find the project on the Sanad off-plan list and note the registered developer.
  2. Check both statuses on the Municipality's developer and project PDFs, and its notices.
  3. Get the project registration certificate and sales permit in writing.
  4. Confirm the SPA's seller matches the registered developer.
  5. Confirm the escrow bank is on the approved list and the account is in the project's name.
  6. Pay only into your unit's escrow sub-account.
  7. Check the broker's RAK registration.
  8. Get the latest completion percentage in writing.
  9. Read the payment plan, net area, handover and default clauses.
  10. After signing, confirm your sale is in the initial real estate register.

What we check ourselves before paying

We take handovers, measure and snag units, and run rentals in RAK, so our checks are practical:

  • The developer name must match on the register, the SPA and the escrow details. If it doesn't, we don't pay.
  • Every payment goes to the escrow sub-account confirmed in the SPA, never through a third party.
  • Before each construction-linked instalment, we ask for the completion percentage in writing.
  • We read the net area against the floor plan, then measure at handover.
  • We keep the reservation form, SPA, permits and every receipt in one file.

FAQ

Is there an official list of off-plan projects in RAK? Yes. RAK Municipality publishes the "RERA Updated Off Plan Project list" on its Sanad portal. The version updated 7 September 2026 has 81 projects.

How do I know if my developer is registered in RAK? Find the project on the Sanad list, check the developer's status on the Municipality's "List of Developers" PDF, and make sure the seller named in your SPA is the same company.

Can a developer sell off-plan in RAK before the project is registered? No. Article 7 of Law No. 10 of 2026 bans offering units for sale before the project is registered, and Article 13 bans sales before a sales permit is issued.

Where should I pay my off-plan instalments in RAK? Only into your unit's escrow sub-account for the project (Article 32), held at a bank approved by the Municipality.

Do RAK Economic Zone (RAKEZ) projects follow the same rules? Yes. Law No. 10 of 2026 applies across RAK, including its economic zones (Article 2).

What if my project is not on the list? Ask the developer for the registration certificate and sales permit, confirm them with RERA RAK, and don't pay until you have.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Before you sign or pay, have a UAE-qualified lawyer review your contract.

Sources

EuroEstates Properties
Next

RAK Law No. 10 of 2026: What Changed for Off-Plan Buyers, and What to Do If You’re Partway Through a Payment Plan