Sending money to Dubai, the right way.

Where the money goes

For an off-plan purchase, every payment goes to the project's escrow account, as required by Law No. 8 of 2007. The funds are released to the developer according to construction progress, under RERA oversight. Never to a personal account, never through an intermediary.

For a ready property, the price is settled through the transfer process at a Dubai Land Department trustee office, where the title deed changes hands. Here too, payment instructions should follow the official process, and you should know exactly who receives what, and when.

My rule: before any transfer, the beneficiary's details are checked against official documents, and the client confirms them with me. It takes a few minutes and removes a lot of risk.

Residents of Morocco: Office des Changes first

If you live in Morocco, investing abroad is subject to the exchange-control rules of the Office des Changes. Those rules define whether and how a resident can transfer funds abroad for an investment. They must be checked before any transfer, and before signing anything that commits you to pay.

I do not interpret those rules for clients; I ask them to confirm their situation with their bank or a qualified adviser in Morocco, and we build the plan from there. It is the only sound way to start.

Moroccans living abroad are in a different position: they generally pay from their account in their country of residence. If you also hold dirhams convertibles in Morocco from funds sent from abroad, discuss with your bank how they can be used.

Currency: the dirham and the dollar

The UAE dirham is pegged to the US dollar at 3.6725 AED per USD, a rate set by the Central Bank of the UAE. For buyers earning in dollars or in Gulf currencies, this makes the cost very predictable.

For buyers in the UK, Canada or Europe, the price in pounds, Canadian dollars or euros will move with exchange rates over the life of a payment plan. Some clients prefer to convert in stages as instalments fall due; others set aside funds in advance. There is no universal answer, but it is worth deciding consciously rather than at the last minute.

Ask your bank about the exchange rate and fees applied to international transfers, so that the amount received in AED matches the amount due.

Proof of funds and compliance checks

Banks, developers and agencies in the UAE apply know-your-customer (KYC) and anti-money-laundering checks. You will be asked for your passport and, depending on the case, for information on the origin of the funds: payslips, bank statements, a sale deed, savings history.

This is standard and applies to everyone. Your bank in the UK, Canada or the Gulf may ask the same questions on its side before sending a large transfer. Preparing these documents early avoids delays at the moment of a payment deadline.

• Valid passport, and proof of address in your country of residence
• Recent bank statements from the account you will pay from
• Documents showing the origin of the funds (salary, savings, sale of an asset)
• The reservation form or sale and purchase agreement, with the escrow details
• Residents of Morocco: confirmation of your position under Office des Changes rules

Keep every receipt

Each transfer should leave a clear trail: your bank's confirmation, the developer's or the trustee's receipt, and the matching instalment in your payment schedule. Keep them together, in one folder, for the life of the property.

These documents will be useful to your bank, to the tax authorities in your country of residence when you declare the asset or its income, and when you resell. My guide on tax on Dubai property for Moroccans abroad explains why your home country matters.

Timing payments with a payment plan

Off-plan payment plans spread the price over construction milestones. Each instalment has a due date, and a well-organised buyer knows them all in advance. I send clients a clear calendar with the amounts in AED and an estimate in their own currency.

International transfers can take a few working days, and time zones and bank holidays differ between Dubai, Morocco, the UK and Canada. Send instalments with a margin. For the logic behind payment plans, see the off-plan payment plan explained.

Points to check before pressing send

Most transfer issues come from small details: a missing reference, a beneficiary name typed slightly differently, or an amount that arrives short after bank fees. Each of these is easy to prevent.

• The beneficiary is the project's escrow account or the official transfer process, checked against documents
• The payment reference includes your unit number and name as requested
• The amount received in AED covers the instalment after bank fees
• Your bank has the supporting documents it may request for a large transfer
• You save the confirmation and send a copy to the developer or to me

A clean, documented purchase

Money is where a calm, methodical approach pays off most. I prepare each payment step with my clients so that nothing is improvised.

Book a free 30-minute call to plan yours. You may also want to read buying in Dubai remotely and Dubai purchase costs.