What is DARI, Abu Dhabi's property registration platform?
DARI is the online platform run by the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre for registering property sales, mortgages and title deeds. Here is what a buyer actually sees on it, step by step.
DARI is the online services platform run by the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) for registering real estate transactions in the emirate, from an off-plan sale through to a completed title deed. If you are buying in Abu Dhabi, DARI is where the paper trail of your purchase actually lives, even though your developer or adviser handles most of the steps on it.
What happens on DARI for an off-plan purchase
For an off-plan unit, the developer alone initiates registration of the sale on DARI, at 2% of the sale price for ownership or 1% for musataha, plus a 400 AED e-services fee excluding VAT. The developer faces a 10,000 AED penalty if the sale is not registered within 21 days of the sale date, and a project escrow account must be registered alongside it. The result is a pre-registration certificate, downloadable by both developer and buyer, confirming the unit and its ownership or musataha/usufruct status while construction is under way.
What happens at completion
Once a project is finished, DARI handles the transfer from that initial registry to the permanent land registry, and the title deed itself becomes downloadable. Registering a completed sale costs 2% of the contract value plus an 875 AED e-services fee. DARI also handles mortgage registration (450 AED e-services fee) and mortgage release (900 AED plus a 55 AED e-services fee).
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What a buyer should actually check on it
Ask your developer or adviser to confirm, through DARI documentation rather than a sales brochure, which regime applies to your unit (ownership or musataha), whether the project's escrow account is registered, and whether the 21-day registration window has been met. These are the practical checkpoints that separate a marketed project from a properly registered one. See our guide on Abu Dhabi's investment zones for the broader legal context DARI sits within.
Moving forward with Orven
Message Orven on WhatsApp at +971 52 776 1939 or at sales@orvenproperties.com for any project in the Abu Dhabi collection. Your adviser can walk you through what a DARI certificate for a specific unit should show before you sign.
FAQ
Is DARI the same as Dubai's Land Department system? No. DARI is run by ADREC specifically for Abu Dhabi. Dubai registers sales through its own Land Department and Oqood system, a separate authority and process.
Who registers an off-plan sale on DARI, the buyer or the developer? The developer initiates registration. The buyer does not register the sale directly, though the resulting certificate is accessible to both parties.
What does a DARI pre-registration certificate prove? It confirms that a specific unit's sale has been registered and states whether the buyer holds ownership or a musataha/usufruct right, pending the title deed at completion.
Does DARI charge VAT on top of its fees? The 400 AED off-plan e-services fee excludes the standard 5% VAT, which applies separately. Confirm the exact total with your adviser.
ORVEN PROPERTIES
Talk to an Orven adviser
Leave your number: an adviser calls you back or replies on WhatsApp, in your language. No commitment.
Frequently asked questions
Is DARI the same as Dubai's Land Department system?
No. DARI is run by ADREC specifically for Abu Dhabi. Dubai registers sales through its own Land Department and Oqood system, a separate authority and process.
Who registers an off-plan sale on DARI, the buyer or the developer?
The developer initiates registration. The buyer does not register the sale directly, though the resulting certificate is accessible to both parties.
What does a DARI pre-registration certificate prove?
It confirms that a specific unit's sale has been registered and states whether the buyer holds ownership or a musataha/usufruct right, pending the title deed at completion.
Does DARI charge VAT on top of its fees?
The 400 AED off-plan e-services fee excludes the standard 5% VAT, which applies separately. Confirm the exact total with your adviser.
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