Dubai payment plans explained: 30/70, 60/40 and post-handover
A Dubai payment plan is written as two numbers: the percentage paid during construction, then the percentage due on handover. In a 60/40 plan you pay 60% while the building goes up and 40% at handover. The lower the first number, the less capital you tie up before the asset exists — and, usually, the higher the headline price.
Reading the two numbers
The first number is construction, the second is handover. 80/20 means most of the money goes in before you own anything usable. 40/60 means the opposite. Neither is better in the abstract — they suit different situations.
Post-handover plans
A post-handover plan spreads part of the price over one to five years after you receive the keys — so rental income can service part of the payment. The trade-off is a higher total price, and the instalments continue whether the unit is let or not.
What a plan actually costs you
A longer, lighter plan is a form of financing, and financing is never free. The premium is inside the price rather than shown as interest. Compare the total payable on two plans for the same unit before deciding which is cheaper.
Which plan suits which buyer
An investor holding to flip before handover wants a low first number — less capital committed, more leverage on the resale. An end user who will live in the unit often prefers the opposite, because a large handover payment can collide with a mortgage that is capped lower than they expect.
| Plan | During construction | At handover | Typically suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80/20 | 80% | 20% | Buyers wanting the lowest headline price |
| 60/40 | 60% | 40% | A middle position — the most common structure |
| 40/60 | 40% | 60% | Investors minimising committed capital |
| 30/70 | 30% | 70% | Maximum leverage before completion |
| Post-handover | Varies | Balance over 1–5 years after keys | Buyers using rent to service payments |
What people get wrong
- A "1% monthly" plan is a payment schedule, not a discount. It describes how often you pay, not how much in total. Compare the total payable against a shorter plan on the same unit before treating it as the cheaper option.
- The handover payment is the one that catches people. A 30/70 plan means 70% falls due in a single window. If you intend to mortgage that portion, check the lending cap before you sign, not at handover.
- DLD fees are not part of the plan. The 4% registration fee is due early, separately, on the full purchase price. No payment plan spreads it.
The plans on our book, cheapest projects first
Each is the developer’s published plan on the date its page gives.
- Richmond Residences by John Richmond — 50/50, with 50% over 3 years after handover · From AED 550,000
- KORE — 50/50, or 60/40 with 40% after handover · From AED 679,000
- Peace Lagoons 2 — 20/80 at 1% monthly, or 50/50 · From AED 680,000
- Aljada — Plans up to 35/65 · From AED 794,000
- Peace Lagoons — 20/80 at 1% monthly, or 50/50 · From AED 1,030,000
- The Archive — 50/50, or 60/40 with 40% after handover · From AED 1.18M
Common questions
Usually the one with the largest share paid during construction, because the developer is financing less of your purchase. Ask for the total payable under each plan on the same unit — the difference is often visible immediately.
Sometimes, particularly at launch, on higher-value units, or late in a phase when a developer wants to close out inventory. It is one of the things a broker is genuinely useful for.
The SPA sets out notice periods and what the developer may retain. Dubai's framework scales a developer's entitlement to how much of the project is complete. Talk to the developer before a payment is missed rather than after — options narrow quickly once you default.
They are not usually presented as interest-bearing. The cost sits in a higher purchase price instead. Compare the total against a standard plan on an equivalent unit to see what the deferral is costing.
Rarely, and only by agreement with the developer. Treat the plan in your SPA as fixed and choose it on that basis.
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