Expression of Interest (EOI) in Dubai
How It Works, What It Costs and When You Get It Back
At most big Dubai launches the first money changes hands before the project is officially on sale. An expression-of-interest deposit buys you a place in the queue, not a home. Here is how the process works, what you are protected by, the checks to make before you pay, and the red flags that should stop you.
What an EOI Actually Buys You
An expression of interest (EOI) is a deposit, usually refundable, that puts you on a developer’s priority list before a Dubai off-plan project opens for sale. It does not give you a specific unit, a fixed price or a Sale and Purchase Agreement. If you are allocated a unit and go ahead, the EOI is normally credited against your booking deposit. If you are not allocated a unit, or you turn down the one offered, it is normally returned within the period stated on the form, often 30 to 60 days.
EOIs exist because demand at popular launches outstrips the first release. Developers use the EOI period to measure demand, set final prices and decide the order in which buyers choose units. For buyers, the EOI is the price of being early: the first people allocated get the best choice of plots, floors and views, and often the launch price.
The risk is that the EOI sits in a grey zone. It is paid before the binding paperwork exists, and sometimes before the project appears on the DLD register. That means the protections that apply to off-plan payments later on, such as the escrow account and Oqood registration, may not cover your EOI. Your protection is the written EOI form, and the identity of whoever is holding your money.
This guide is general information about how EOIs commonly work at Dubai launches. It is not legal advice. Developers set their own terms, so check the specific form, and take advice from a real estate lawyer if the amounts are significant.
EOI vs Booking vs SPA
What each stage commits you to
How a Dubai Off-Plan Launch Runs, Step by Step
Most Dubai launches follow the same broad sequence, although the names, amounts and timings vary by developer. The protection you have changes at each step, which is why it matters where your money sits at each stage.
| Stage | What happens | What you pay | What protects you |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Registration of interest | You give your details and preferences to a broker or the developer. | Nothing | No money at risk |
| 2. EOI | You sign the developer’s EOI form and pay a deposit for priority. | Fixed EOI amount | EOI form terms |
| 3. Allocation | Units are offered in priority order. You accept or decline. | Nothing extra | Refund if declined (per form) |
| 4. Booking / reservation | You sign a reservation form for a specific unit and price. | Booking instalment, minus the EOI | Reservation terms |
| 5. SPA | The Sale and Purchase Agreement fixes the price, plan and handover date. | Per schedule | Binding contract |
| 6. Oqood registration | The sale is registered on the DLD’s interim real estate register. | 4% DLD fee plus admin fees | DLD registration |
| 7. Construction instalments | You pay milestones into the project escrow account. | Per payment plan | Escrow, Law No. 8 of 2007 |
| 8. Handover | Final payment is made and the title deed is issued. | Balance plus title deed fees | Title deed |
Sequence as commonly operated at Dubai off-plan launches; individual developers vary. Escrow under Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 concerning real estate development trust accounts. Interim registration (Oqood) under Dubai Law No. 13 of 2008. DLD fee schedule: see our DLD fees guide. General information only, not legal advice.
Six Checks Before Any EOI Payment
Five minutes of checking before you pay can save months of chasing a refund. Work through all six, in writing.
Weighing an EOI on a launch right now?
Send TruHauz the EOI form before you pay. We will tell you who holds the money, what the refund terms really say, and whether the launch is worth the queue.
Three Signs to Walk Away
Most EOIs at established developers are routine. These are the patterns that are not.
Pay now, paperwork later
Any request for cash, for payment to a personal account, or for money before you have seen the developer’s own EOI form. A legitimate EOI comes with the developer’s form and an official receipt.
“Last few EOIs left”
A countdown with no written terms behind it. Real launches do have deadlines, but the refund clause should still be in writing before you pay. Urgency is not a reason to skip reading it.
No developer, no permit
A project the named developer does not acknowledge, adverts without a DLD permit, or a broker who cannot show a RERA card. The DLD fines developers for marketing before registration, so permits are not a technicality.
Palm Springs by Nakheel: What an EOI Could Look Like
Nakheel’s Palm Springs townhouse and villa community in Jebel Ali shows how the sequence plays out at a real launch. As of 1 November 2026, Nakheel has not published EOI terms, so the figures below are an illustration based on reported, unconfirmed numbers. They are not an offer.
Take a 4-bedroom townhouse at the reported price of about AED 3.8 million, on the reported 20/40/40 plan. The 20% booking instalment would be AED 760,000. If you had paid an EOI, it would normally be deducted from that amount rather than added to it. At registration on Oqood, the DLD’s 4% fee would add about AED 152,000, plus administration fees. During construction a further 40%, about AED 1.52 million, would follow in milestones paid into the project escrow account. The final 40%, again about AED 1.52 million, would fall due at the reported Q1 2031 handover. That is the point where many buyers bring in a mortgage.
So the realistic cash needed in the first weeks after allocation would be about AED 912,000: the booking instalment plus the DLD fee. The EOI itself is only a deposit towards that. Before paying any Palm Springs EOI, you would want three things in writing: that it is collected by Nakheel or a Nakheel-named account, that it is refunded in full if you are not allocated or you decline, and that it is credited against the booking instalment. Our Palm Springs payment plan calculator runs these numbers for any price, and our Palm Springs launch report tracks what Nakheel has confirmed.
How to Pay an EOI Safely
1. Register interest first. It costs nothing. Give a RERA-registered broker or the developer your unit type, budget and payment preference, so that you hear when the EOI opens.
2. Get the developer’s EOI form. Ask for the developer’s own document, not a broker summary. Read the amount, the payee, the refund conditions, any deductions and the refund timeline.
3. Verify the people. Ask for the agent’s RERA broker card and the brokerage’s licence. Check that the marketing carries a DLD advertising permit.
4. Pay the right party. Pay by cheque or bank transfer to the developer or a developer-named account, never cash, and get an official, numbered receipt.
5. Prepare for allocation. Have your booking instalment and the 4% DLD fee ready. Allocation windows at hot launches can be short. Our guide to DLD fees in Dubai sets out the full cost.
6. Decide on the unit, not the hype. If the unit offered is not what you wanted, decline it and claim the refund under the form’s terms. A unit you do not want is not a bargain because you queued for it.
7. Check the SPA before you sign. Confirm that the price, payment plan, handover date and specifications match what you were offered. Make sure the sale is registered on Oqood. If you are buying from abroad, read our guide to buying property in Dubai as a foreigner.
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions buyers ask most often about EOI deposits at Dubai off-plan launches.
Send Us the EOI Form Before You Pay
TruHauz reads EOI and reservation terms for buyers every week. Send us the form and the launch you are considering, and we will tell you plainly what you are agreeing to.
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