Which Dubai developers hand over on time? The DLD record for 21 developers
86% of finished Dubai projects finished by their registered month in the DLD register as of 11 November 2026. The record for 21 developers: finished on time, active past date, % built and dates moved since June.
By the Dubai Unpacked editorial team
12 min read
Most Dubai off-plan projects finish by the date the Dubai Land Department (DLD) holds for them. In the DLD project register as of 11 November 2026, 1,393 of 1,613 finished projects (86%) were finished in or before their registered completion month. That date is the latest one DLD holds, not always the first one buyers were given. This page shows the record for the 21 developers with at least 10 finished or active projects in the register.
This is general information, not financial or legal advice.
The finished, on-time and active counts for each developer are the same as on that developer's page on this site, for example the Binghatti or Danube page. For what your contract and the law say when a project runs late, read do Dubai developers hand over on time?.
Which Dubai developers deliver on time?
In the DLD project register as of 11 November 2026, the 21 developers with 10 or more finished or active projects finished 536 of 617 projects (87%) in or before the registered month. Shares range from 30 of 30 for Dubai South Properties to 0 of 2 for Object One. Our analysis of the register gives every row below.
| Developer | DLD companies counted | Finished projects | Finished in or before the registered month | Active projects | Active, past registered date | Of those, more than 1 year past | Median % built of those past date | Dates moved, 12 Jun to 11 Nov 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emaar Properties | 9 | 188 | 176 | 117 | 1 | 1 | 30% | 0 of 88 |
| DAMAC Properties | 16 | 84 | 73 | 74 | 12 | 8 | 83% | 1 of 52 |
| Azizi | 2 | 90 | 77 | 44 | 10 | 3 | 63% | 2 of 48 |
| Binghatti | 1 | 37 | 31 | 24 | 14 | 0 | 54% | 1 of 24 |
| Dubai South Properties | 2 | 30 | 30 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 94% | 0 of 13 |
| Meraas | 4 | 22 | 16 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 44% | 0 of 19 |
| Ellington | 12 | 15 | 14 | 24 | 7 | 1 | 55% | 2 of 19 |
| Sobha Realty | 1 | 17 | 15 | 22 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0 of 13 |
| Danube | 1 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 73% | 0 of 11 |
| Deyaar | 1 | 27 | 23 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 56% | 0 of 7 |
| Samana | 5 | 5 | 4 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 86% | 1 of 23 |
| Imtiaz Developments | 8 | 7 | 7 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 90% | 0 of 21 |
| Nshama | 1 | 13 | 11 | 17 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0 of 14 |
| Tiger Properties | 1 | 18 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0 of 5 |
| Object One Real Estate Development | 2 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 4 | 0 | 42% | 2 of 19 |
| Nakheel | 3 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0 of 10 |
| Select Group | 1 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
| Iman Developers | 1 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 68% | 0 of 6 |
| Majid Al Futtaim | 2 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 91% | 0 of 7 |
| LMD | 1 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0 of 3 |
| Prescott Developers | 1 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0 of 2 |
| These 21 developers | 617 | 536 | 516 | 67 | 16 | 66% | 9 of 404 | |
| All developers in the register | 1,613 | 1,393 | 1,242 | 252 | 59 | 68% | 74 of 1,159 |
Source: our analysis of the DLD project register as of 11 November 2026, compared with our copy as of 12 June 2026. Developers are ordered by finished plus active projects.
How to read the table
- Who counts as the developer. DLD lists each project under the company that registered it. Many developers set up a new company for each project or joint venture. For each developer on this site, we count every DLD company behind the projects we have matched to that developer. Emaar's 9 companies include Dubai Hills Estate L.L.C and Dubai Creek Harbour L.L.C. A DLD company with no project matched to a listing on this site is not counted.
- Finished. A finished project counts only if the register gives both its completion date and its registered date.
- Past the date is not stalled. "Active, past registered date" means the date DLD held on 11 November 2026 had passed and the project was still being built. The median % built is DLD's figure for those projects. Where a developer has one such project, it is that project's figure.
- Dates moved. For each project we recorded on 12 June 2026, we checked whether its registered date was different on 11 November 2026. "1 of 52" means one of 52 projects moved. Finished projects count only if their date moved.
- Small numbers swing. Samana has 5 finished projects and Object One 2. One project changes their share a lot.
- n/a means there is nothing to count, for example no active project past its date.
We don't score or rank developers. The rows show how each developer's projects stand against the dates DLD holds. Look at the project you want as well as the brand.
What does "on time" mean in DLD data?
In the DLD register, "on time" can only mean finished in or before the completion month DLD holds now. DLD replaces a project's date when it gets more time and keeps no old dates. We have recorded every project's date since our copy of 12 June 2026, so moves since then show in the table.
- The register shows the current date only. A project that was extended twice and then finished counts as finished by its date. The register can't show how far it ran past the date its first buyers signed for.
- Your sale agreement has its own date. The date in your SPA is the one that matters to you. It can be earlier than the DLD date.
- Some projects can't be counted. 1,613 of 1,685 finished projects have both dates. 164 of 1,242 active projects had no registered date on 11 November 2026, so they can't be past it. The 328 not started, 244 pending and 15 other projects are not in the table.
- Finish dates can be filled in late. 51 projects that were active in our June copy are now finished with a completion date in 2025. The register can mark a project finished months after the date it gives.
Are Dubai off-plan delays getting worse?
The share finished by the registered month fell from 93% (1,338 of 1,436) in the DLD register as of 12 June 2026 to 86% (1,393 of 1,613) as of 11 November 2026. The main reason is that late projects finished. Of 166 projects that moved from active to finished, with both dates, 112 finished after their registered month.
Of the 275 active projects that were past their registered date in June, 127 had finished by 11 November 2026 and 145 were still active. So the June figure looked better partly because late projects had not finished yet. A share of finished projects only counts a delay once the building is done.
How many Dubai off-plan projects are delayed now?
252 of 1,242 active projects (20%) were past their registered completion date in the DLD project register as of 11 November 2026. Their median build progress was 68%. 193 were less than a year past the date, 33 were one to two years past, and 26 more than two years past.
45 of the 252 were 90% built or more, so they are close to finishing. A project at 90% is in a very different place from one at 20%. The register gives DLD's own completion percentage for each project, and each project page on this site shows it.
Do Dubai developers change completion dates?
Yes, but in five months few did. Between our copies of the DLD register of 12 June and 11 November 2026, 74 of 1,159 projects we track had a new registered completion date. 69 moved later and 5 earlier. The moved dates shifted by 8 months on average, and 19 moved by a year or more.
Among the 21 developers in the table, 9 of 404 tracked projects moved: 2 each for Azizi, Ellington and Object One, and 1 each for DAMAC, Binghatti and Samana. A move is not always bad news for you. Your SPA date and its delay clauses still apply.
Emaar, DAMAC or Azizi: how do their handover records compare?
In the DLD project register as of 11 November 2026, Emaar finished 176 of 188 projects (94%) by the registered month, DAMAC 73 of 84 (87%) and Azizi 77 of 90 (86%). Emaar had 1 active project past its date, DAMAC 12 and Azizi 10. Our analysis counts every DLD company behind each brand.
| Emaar Properties | DAMAC Properties | Azizi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DLD companies counted | 9 | 16 | 2 |
| Finished projects | 188 | 84 | 90 |
| Finished in or before the registered month | 176 (94%) | 73 (87%) | 77 (86%) |
| Active projects | 117 | 74 | 44 |
| Active, past registered date | 1 | 12 | 10 |
| Of those, more than 1 year past | 1 | 8 | 3 |
| Median % built of those past date | 30% | 83% | 63% |
| Dates moved, 12 Jun to 11 Nov 2026 | 0 of 88 | 1 of 52 | 2 of 48 |
Emaar's one project past its date was 30% built and more than a year past. DAMAC's 12 were a median 83% built, so most are close to the end.
Binghatti vs Danube vs Samana
In the DLD project register as of 11 November 2026, Binghatti finished 31 of 37 projects (84%) by the registered month, Danube 18 of 19 (95%) and Samana 4 of 5. Binghatti had 14 active projects past their date, Danube 4 and Samana 3. Our analysis of the register gives each figure.
| Binghatti | Danube | Samana | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DLD companies counted | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Finished projects | 37 | 19 | 5 |
| Finished in or before the registered month | 31 | 18 | 4 |
| Active projects | 24 | 19 | 31 |
| Active, past registered date | 14 | 4 | 3 |
| Of those, more than 1 year past | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Median % built of those past date | 54% | 73% | 86% |
| Dates moved, 12 Jun to 11 Nov 2026 | 1 of 24 | 0 of 11 | 1 of 23 |
None of the three had a project more than a year past its date. Samana has few finished projects, so its share can change with one building.
How do I check if a developer is reliable?
Check the developer's record, then the project. The DLD Project Status Enquiry service shows a project's completion percentage and details for free, on the DLD website, in the Dubai REST app or on WhatsApp at 8004488 (DLD page, checked 14 November 2026). Compare that with the developer's dates and your SPA.
- Open the developer's page on this site. "Their record" shows the finished, on-time and under-construction counts from this table.
- Look the project up with DLD. Use Project Status Enquiry and search by land number, project number or project name (DLD). Note the status and the completion percentage.
- Compare three dates. The handover date the developer gives, the DLD completion date shown on the project's page here, and the date in your SPA. If they differ, ask the developer why, in writing.
- Look at the developer's projects past their date. Note how far past they are and how far built.
- Check how payments are tied to the build. See payment plans explained and how escrow protects your money.
You can also list a developer's projects on sale, for example Binghatti's projects. Each project page shows its own entry in the DLD register.
Frequently asked questions
What share of Dubai off-plan projects finish on time?
86%. In the DLD register as of 11 November 2026, 1,393 of 1,613 finished projects finished in or before the registered month. That date is the latest one DLD holds, so a project that was given more time can still count as on time.
Is Emaar reliable on handover dates?
By the DLD register as of 11 November 2026, Emaar finished 176 of 188 projects (94%) in or before the registered month. One of its 117 active projects was past its date. None of the 88 Emaar projects we track had a new date between June and November 2026.
Why are developers' numbers different on other sites?
Each site groups DLD companies in its own way, and many developers register a new company per project. We count every DLD company behind the projects we match to a developer, the same rule as our developer pages. Our older eight-developer table matched company names instead, so some rows differ.
Does a late DLD date mean my handover is late?
Not always. Your SPA has its own date and delay clauses, and they decide your rights. The DLD date can be later than your SPA date if the project was given more time.
How far past their date are delayed projects?
Of 252 active projects past their date on 11 November 2026, 193 were less than a year past, 33 one to two years and 26 more than two years. 45 of them were 90% built or more.
Sources
- Dubai Land Department, Project Status Enquiry service, checked 14 November 2026: dubailand.gov.ae
- Our analysis of the DLD project register as of 11 November 2026 (DLD open data), grouped by the DLD companies behind the projects matched to each developer on this site in November 2026. These are our own counts, not official DLD statistics.
- Our copies of each project's registered completion date as of 12 June 2026 and 11 November 2026, compared to count date moves. Our earlier figures from the register as of 12 June 2026 are quoted for comparison.