Off-Plan Projects in Sheikh Zayed Road

At the city end, Meraas is building Jumeirah Residences Emirates Towers. Dubai Holding describes it as 754 branded residences of one to four bedrooms in two towers designed by SCDA Architects, with direct access to Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road, next to the Museum of the Future, DIFC and One Central. Meraas also has Laurel on this page, and DarGlobal is building Trump International Hotel & Tower Dubai, a hotel and residences tower.

Further south, Imtiaz Developments lists Raw District on Sheikh Zayed Road and describes it as connected to Dubai Marina, Expo City and Palm Jebel Ali. The rest of the list comes from smaller developers: SOL Luxe by SOL Properties, Amber by Enso, Elemental 22, Chelsea Gardens by Alaia Developments, EVERGR1N House by Object One, Grandala by Palladium Prime, Olivia Gardens Residence by Segrex, One Residence by Ginco Properties, Stamn One, The Elysian Residence by New MFOUR and Trillium Heights by El Prime Properties.

Sheikh Zayed Road is a highway, not a single community, and developers use the name for plots many kilometres apart. The two examples above show the range: one tower sits beside DIFC in the business district, while Raw District is marketed by its links to Dubai Marina and Palm Jebel Ali. Those are different markets with different commutes, views and neighbours.

Before you compare two "Sheikh Zayed Road" projects, ask each developer for:

• The plot number and community name as shown in the sale contract, which tells you the real area the building belongs to.
• Which side of the road it faces and how cars get in and out, because crossing the highway can add a long detour.
• The nearest metro station on foot, measured from the building entrance, not from the plot edge.

Yes. The Dubai Metro Red Line serves the road. The Dubai Media Office confirmed that the station now called ONPASSIVE, formerly Al Safa, is on the Red Line and located on Sheikh Zayed Road. The RTA metro guide lists Red Line stations including World Trade Centre, Emirates Towers, Financial Centre, Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall, Business Bay and Mall of the Emirates, and says the Red Line has 29 stations. Being close to the road is not the same as being close to a station, so check the walk on the RTA journey planner at the time you would travel.

Under Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, a developer who wants to sell homes off-plan must apply to the Dubai Land Department to open an escrow account for the project, buyers' payments are deposited into that account, and the money is reserved for building that project alone. Law No. 13 of 2008 set up the Interim Property Register, and a sale of an off-plan unit is void unless it is entered in it. The Dubai Land Department runs this register through its Oqood system. In practice:

1. Pay only into the escrow account. The account details belong in your sale contract. Do not send money to any other account.
2. Get the sale registered. Ask for proof that your contract has been entered in the Interim Property Register before you treat the purchase as done.
3. Check the developer. With so many different developers on this list, visit buildings each one has already handed over in Dubai and read our guide on how to check a developer before buying off-plan.
4. Look up the service charges. The Dubai Land Department Service Charge Index shows approved service fees for a project by year, on its website and the Dubai REST app. A new tower may have no approved figure yet, so get the developer's estimate in writing.

Once the completion certificate is issued, the law also requires the escrow agent to hold back 5% of the account, released to the developer one year after the homes are registered in the buyers' names.

Off-plan gives you a new building and stage payments during construction, with a wait until the handover date in your contract. A ready apartment in one of the existing towers lets you see the view, the noise from the highway and the service charge history before you buy. If you searched for Zayed City or Madinat Zayed, note that this page covers Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai only.

Our Sheikh Zayed Road area guide covers the existing towers. If you want the business district itself, see off-plan in DIFC.