Freezone vs freehold property in Dubai: what to check

What's the difference between freezone and freehold?

Article 4 of Dubai's Law No. 7 of 2006 sets out the rights available to non-UAE nationals in areas determined by the Ruler. Check the property record behind the sales label.

Sources: Dubai Legislation Portal, Law No. 7 of 2006, Article 4 · Dubai Silicon Oasis, licence and company types · Checked 10 November 2026.

If your offer specifies a time-limited right, use the leasehold ownership checklist to check the remaining term and renewal clause.

Can property in a free zone also be freehold?

Yes. Dubai Silicon Oasis describes private developments in its freehold and leasehold areas, alongside separate business-licensing requirements.

Example: DSO directs a business using privately owned premises in its administrative zone to its Freehold Licensing Section. The business still needs to follow the licensing process.

Ask: “What right will be registered, in whose name, and what use is approved?” For a home in Mina Rashid, put those questions against the exact apartment.

Source: Dubai Silicon Oasis, administrative-zone business requirements · Checked 10 November 2026. Other zones need their own checks.

Can your free-zone company buy Dubai property?

Get confirmation for the exact company and property before paying a reservation amount.

DLD's announcement of 24 July 2025 describes cooperation with Masdar City to enable its free-zone companies to own Dubai freehold property, including work on eligibility and registration procedures. It doesn't confirm your company's acceptance today.

Send the company's legal name and incorporation details privately to DLD or a registration trustee. Ask which registration, authority confirmation and signatory documents you need. Have your adviser check the proposed structure and ongoing obligations.

Sources: DLD, Masdar City cooperation announcement · DLD, Property Sale Registration, company-registration condition · Checked 10 November 2026.

How do you check the property right before signing?

1. Ask the seller for the current property record. Match the unit, registered right and proposed sale terms. If it's off-plan, ask which registration record applies at this stage.
2. Open DLD's Verify Title Deed service for a completed property's deed. The form requests the deed number, year and property type. The owner-and-property option also requests the owner's name.
3. Resolve mismatches before proceeding. Check the entries with the seller, then ask DLD or your adviser about anything that remains unclear. Don't circulate the owner's documents in public groups.
4. Match the agreement to the intended registration. Read the sale and purchase agreement checklist beside the documents.

Watch out: a valid deed check doesn't confirm your company's eligibility or permission to use the premises for its business.

If the proposal involves developing someone else's land, check whether a musataha agreement is involved rather than assuming the proposal transfers freehold ownership.

Sources: DLD, Verify Title Deed · Law No. 7 of 2006, Article 6 · Checked 10 November 2026. No individual deed was checked for this article.

What are the sale registration fees?

For its completed-property sale service, DLD lists the following on 10 November 2026:

The cited resolution shares the sale fee equally unless agreed otherwise. Read your agreement's payer clause.

Hypothetical sale: AED 2,000,000 × (2% + 2%) = AED 80,000 combined sale registration fee. Ask the trustee to add the applicable issuance, map and knowledge/innovation charges. Company setup, renewals and financing costs need separate quotes.

Check the separate registration procedure for an off-plan purchase. For ongoing building bills, use the service-charge guide.

Sources: DLD, Property Sale Registration · Executive Council Resolution No. 30 of 2013, Article 3 · Checked 10 November 2026.

What isn't published for your proposed purchase?

These pages don't settle your company's eligibility, total bill, tax position or the unit's approved use. Ask DLD and the free-zone authority about registration; get legal and tax advice for the proposed structure.

Checks on 10 November 2026 covered DLD's sale service and Masdar announcement, Dubai's property law and DSO's licensing page. The DLD search for “freehold free zone” didn't establish blanket approval for every company.

For an office purchase, the ENARA by OMNIYAT buyer checklist adds questions about the seller, fit-out and ongoing costs to your ownership and licensing checks.

Frequently asked questions

Does freehold mean a 99-year right?

Article 4 distinguishes freehold without a time restriction from usufruct or leasehold for up to 99 years. Ask which right appears in the property record and agreement. A reference to “ownership” in an advertisement isn't specific enough.

Do you need a free-zone company to buy as an individual?

No. Article 4 provides a route for eligible non-UAE nationals in designated areas. If someone proposes setting up a company, ask why you need it and what it will cost each year.

Does buying a freehold apartment let you run a business there?

Ask the relevant authority about your activity and exact premises. DSO's administrative-zone process is one example of the separate licensing check needed alongside property ownership.

Does the title check replace a physical inspection?

Keep both in your purchase plan. Arrange a property inspection with a written snagging scope for the home's condition, alongside the checks of its ownership record.

If you are checking support for a purchase, compare the UAE housing assistance and Dubai first-time buyer routes against your eligibility.