The property story in Dubai started from the day Dubai Land Department was established on January 24, 1960. On that blessed day, His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the late Ruler of Dubai, signed a decree, stating: "We have decided to establish a committee to oversee affairs related to land and private properties in the emirate, in order to register these lands and properties in a systematic and effective manner and to safeguard the rights of our people."

Since then, the Land Department (LD) has kept pace with the great strides the UAE has made towards modernization. In days bygone, the sale of land was based on trust, and sealed with a handshake. Now, these traditional methods have been replaced with contracts and paperwork. All matters of legalization of sale and purchase of lands have been entrusted to the LD. This has served to regulate the registration process and protect property from misappropriation. It has also facilitated transactions between landowners and buyers, and their heirs, when applicable.

Throughout the decades, the LD gained the trust of UAE nationals, by offering distinguished services and sound advice. LD has developed in sync with the rapid growth of Dubai. The number of lands registered at LD exceeds 60,000 plots all over the emirate. The process of registering real estate data is entirely computerized. All procedures related to sale, purchase, and mortgage are conducted electronically.

The LD has left the era of manual work behind, keeping pace with advanced technology, which allows the department to provide clients with quality and time-efficient service.

Several electronic systems are in place such as the Land System, the Land Information system(LIS), the archiving system and the newly launched pre-registration system.

The LD places a high premium on customer care. The Dubai Land Department continuously strives to keep up with the development and prosperity of the emirate under the rule of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Through the leadership of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a visionary leader, who always strives to be the best and definitely world-class in every thing he plans, guiding with an extraordinary skill, passion and intelligence, The ‘Vision of Dubai’ becomes the world’s most incredible reality now and yet still, there is even more to come. The current progress we see to date is only about 10% of what is to come. Supported by HH. Sheikh Mohammed’s vision the Land Department is planning and implementing services to participate toward making Dubai the globally leading city.

The Government of Dubai instituted new rules, regulations and laws in the Emirate to regulate the market, to protect the rights and interests of consumers, and to ensure Dubai property investors are assured the highest possible service standards from real estate agents, brokers and property developers transacting business in Dubai and maintain the integrity of all the developments.

The Real Estate laws and regulations are in place. The Land Department launched a number of laws and regulations that regulate the property sector: starting with Law No. 7 concerning land registration in Dubai, Law No. 3 concerning areas of properties that can be owned by non-UAE nationals in Dubai, Law No. 8 concerning property trust account in Dubai, Law No. 85 concerning real ease agent regulation and the upcoming strata law. A number of additional laws are in the pipeline such as the mortgage law and the time share regulation.

The latest move of Dubai government to regulate the market is the establishment of Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA).

RERA in preparation for regulating and embedding change on all fronts of the real estate sector in Dubai, has already commenced the transitional process. The three primary focal points are the people, the properties (projects) and the processes of dealing with change on an unprecedented scale. Where Dubai has built the tallest buildings, RERA is preparing to leap to the same heights, with the same precision, with the same intelligence and guidance behind the ‘Vision’.

RERA is set to model a pure international real estate approach system which factors the ‘old and the new’, the ‘customary’ and international ‘best practice’ approach. Our goal is to ensure Dubai real estate practices and practitioners are elevated to the highest status known globally for quality service, practices and ease of doing business in Dubai.

Keeping Dubai strategic plan 2015 as our guide, the Land Department is working to upgrade all Dubai real estate services to be the trusted, strongest, fastest and most transparent real estate registration system in the world.

The new initiative by RERA to launch one of its kind online, virtual community for the sector is one step in the ladder of the Land Department vision. The Real Estate community shall serve all real estate stake holders. The online community and marketplace shall have an educational and training hub flavor for disseminating the information needed by the authorities as well as developers and brokers alike. The online community and marketplace shall service all the real estate practitioners, including investors, property developers, consumers of Dubai property and all associated with the peripheral supporting industries such as banking, finance, insurance and legal professions. The community will also allow people associated with the real estate industry to better serve their industry, their clients and customers and realize their objective.

Community members that will regularly visit the portal and marketplace, will gain a deeper appreciation of the rules and regulations, and will stay updated on changes affecting real estate business conducted in Dubai to stay ahead of the crowd and be prepared for transacting a sale or purchase in Dubai.

About The Land Department The Dubai Land Department was established on January 24, 1960 / 26 Rajab 1379H.On that blessed day, His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the late Ruler of Dubai, signed a decree, stating: "We have decided to establish a committee to oversee affairs related to land and private properties in the emirate, in order to register these lands and properties in a systematic and effective manner and to safeguard the rights of our people."

Since then, the Land Department (LD) has kept pace with the great strides the UAE has made towards modernization. In days bygone, the sale of land was based on trust, and sealed with a handshake. Now, these traditional methods have been replaced with contracts and paperwork. All matters of legalization of sale and purchase of lands have been entrusted to the LD. This has served to regulate the registration process and protect property from misappropriation. It has also facilitated transactions between landowners and buyers, and their heirs, when applicable.

Throughout the decades, the LD gained the trust of UAE nationals, by offering distinguished services and sound advice. The LD's first chairman was His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who took office in 1960 until the establishment of the Federal Union. The current chairman is Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, who took office in 1971.

LD has developed in sync with the rapid growth of Dubai. The number of lands registered at LD exceeds 50,000 plots all over the emirate. The process of registering real estate data is entirely computerised. All procedures related to sale, purchase, and mortgage are conducted electronically. The LD has left the era of manual work behind, keeping pace with advanced technology, which allows the department to provide clients with quality and time-efficient service. The LD places a high premium on customer care. Most clients are either UAE nationals and or GCC investors. The Dubai Land Department continuously strives to keep up with the development and prosperity of the emirate under the rule of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

LD has adopted a new organizational chart, relying on three new administrations incorporating all the different sections of the department. This step was taken as part of the five-year development plan (2004-2007).

About RERARERA, Real Estate Regulatory Authority, part of the Dubai Land Department is a nodal agency that formulates, regulates, manages and licenses various real estates related activities in Dubai. RERA was established in July 2007 by a decree of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai.

RERA envisages a transparent and effective regulatory environment in which various entities pertaining to real estate can conduct their business. As part of this vision, RERA would like to create an online community and marketplace thus enabling various categories of stakeholders to interact and transact with each other and with RERA.

Department of Lands has a comprehensive set of applications to meet various business requirements and processes. These include GIS (Geographical Information System), Registration systems for Agents and developers, Parcel Locator, e-Mortgage and website providing basic information. Many of the applications are home-grown and provide rich business functionality. Land department applications are built around Microsoft and Oracle technologies. Server infrastructure is in-house deployed and managed.

RERA envisages a transparent and effective regulatory environment in which various entities.

Code of Ethics We, Real Estate Brokers licensed to practice in the Emirate of Dubai, hereby undertake to adhere to the following principles and rules:

1. Fair Treatment
   We undertake to treat all contracting parties equally and to achieve justice between them without prejudice or differentiation.
   
   
2. Respectful Treatment
   We undertake to respect the contracting and concerned parties and to respect the privacy of parties and we reject any conduct that would belittle them.
   
   
3. Preservation of Privacy
   We undertake to preserve the privacy of the parties and the confidentiality of their information and undertake not to reveal any information which is confidential or considered as such to any party whether such information relates to the buyer, the seller or any parties related to real estate brokerage. We further undertake to keep this information from reaching any party that would expose it for contractual or personal purposes.
   
   
4. Trust and Integrity
   We undertake to present the deal to both parties honestly and to inform the parties of all the facts and circumstances known to us regarding the real estate and to conduct our business with trust and integrity without harming the reputation of the real estate brokerage profession.
   
   
5. Quality Observance
   We undertake to provide brokerage services of practical value to parties related to the real estate brokerage activity and to continuously seek to develop such services in terms of precision and quality.
   
   
6. Observance of Regulations and Laws
   We undertake to observe the regulations and laws applied in the country and to honour our contractual obligations. We further undertake not to allow individuals who are not brokers to operate through our office or to exploit the name or licence of our office. We realize that forgery, intentional or negligent presentation of false information or data or any attempt to do so shall subject its perpetrators to questioning and investigation in addition to taking necessary disciplinary action against them.
   
   
7. Integrity
   We are diligent in dealing with all parties with integrity and trust and undertake that our efforts will be based on trustworthy and clear information. We further undertake to deal transparently with all parties concerned, including transparency of systems and procedures related to our operations.
   
   
8. Obligation towards the Society
   We undertake to be active members of the society and to work to respect the values and principles of our society. We shall also strive so that our services will support the growth of real estate development in the Emirate.
   
   
9. Observance of the Interests of Contracting Party
   We undertake to protect the interests of the contracting parties and to abstain from doing anything that might harm the interest of one party.
   
   
10. Obligation to Preserve Document
    We undertake to preserve all documents, instruments and things related to the deal.
    
    
11. Respect of the Regulations and Procedures of the Lands & Property Department
    We undertake to respect the regulations and procedures followed by the Department. We are further bound by the rules of good behaviour when visiting the Department and to respect the instructions issued to us by the Department officials. We undertake not to establish special relations with the Department employees for personal gain.

    By signing this Code of Ethics, it is hereby acknowledged that we have read and understood the Code of Ethics, we submit this undertaking willingly and promise to abide by these principles and rules within all aspects of the practice of real estate at all times.

    By signing this undertaking, it is hereby agreed by the signor, to routinely every week log on to RERA’s website, check new announcements, read and learn new laws introduced, including any amendments to the new or existing laws and apply them and abide by them immediately or as and when required.

    By signing this undertaking, the signor makes a promise to wear my Brokers Card on me at ALL times when I am working in or out of my office or to any party when asked.

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