If you’ve put a deposit down on a unit at Palm Jebel Ali, The Acres, or Nad Al Sheba Gardens, a new financing rule announced in mid-September 2026 changes when you can actually get a mortgage against that property — and it’s a meaningfully better deal than the standard off-plan financing most buyers assume applies to them.
Published: 27 September 2026
What Changed: The Short Answer
Dubai Holding Real Estate (DHRE) and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) have entered into a partnership that lets buyers at three named developments — Nakheel’s Palm Jebel Ali, Meraas’ The Acres, and Nad Al Sheba Gardens — access ADCB mortgage financing once they have paid 50% of the property’s value directly to the developer, regardless of how far construction has actually progressed. Under the standard off-plan financing model most buyers encounter, financing only becomes available once the developer hits specific construction milestones (foundation complete, a certain percentage built, and so on) — which can lag well behind a buyer’s own payment schedule. This partnership decouples the two.
The headline terms, confirmed independently across multiple outlets reporting on the announcement:
- Financing available once 50% of the property’s value has been paid to the developer — not tied to a construction milestone
- Rates starting from 3.49% per annum, fixed for three years
- Mortgage pre-approval valid for up to 18 months
- Processing and valuation fees waived
- Digital onboarding and access to dedicated ADCB Mortgage Centres
Buyers in other Nakheel, Meraas, and Dubai Properties developments outside these three named projects can still access ADCB off-plan financing, but under the standard rule — once the developer reaches its prescribed construction milestones, not simply on a 50%-paid basis.
Why This Is Different From “Normal” Off-Plan Mortgage Financing
We’ve covered how standard off-plan mortgage financing works in the UAE before, and the mechanics haven’t changed for the wider market — what’s new here is specific to these three developments. In the ordinary model:
- You put down a deposit and pay according to the developer’s payment plan (often construction-linked).
- A bank will typically only start processing mortgage financing once the developer has hit a defined construction milestone — commonly once the building has reached a certain structural stage.
- Your eventual loan-to-value (LTV) is calculated against the property’s current value at that point, and the financed amount is released to match the developer’s remaining payment schedule.
Under the DHRE x ADCB partnership at Palm Jebel Ali, The Acres, and Nad Al Sheba Gardens, step 2 above is replaced: it’s your own payment progress to the developer — hitting the 50% mark — that unlocks financing eligibility, not the building’s physical progress. In practice this matters most for buyers on an aggressive early-payment plan at a project that hasn’t yet broken ground on later construction phases; under the old milestone rule, you could have paid half the property’s price and still be unable to get a mortgage against it.
Don’t Confuse This With ADCB’s Broader Off-Plan Mortgage Scheme
ADCB separately launched a broader off-plan mortgage pre-approval scheme in April 2026, open to buyers across multiple developers (later including Emaar Development and Ellington Properties, among others). That scheme is easy to confuse with this one because several terms overlap — it also offers pre-approval of up to 50% of the property’s value, and a 3.49% p.a. rate fixed for three years with waived processing and valuation fees. The difference that actually matters:
| April 2026 general ADCB scheme | Sept 2026 DHRE x ADCB partnership (this guide) | |
|---|---|---|
| Developments covered | Multiple partner developers | Palm Jebel Ali, The Acres, Nad Al Sheba Gardens (named); other Nakheel/Meraas/Dubai Properties projects under standard milestone rules |
| Trigger for financing | Pre-approval up to 50% of value, before any construction milestone | Full financing eligibility once 50% has actually been paid to the developer |
| Pre-approval validity | Up to 12 months, renewable annually until handover | Up to 18 months |
| Rate | From 3.49% p.a., fixed 3 years | From 3.49% p.a., fixed 3 years |
| Fees | Zero processing, zero valuation | Waived processing and valuation fees |
If your unit is at one of the three named developments, the longer 18-month pre-approval window and the payment-based (not milestone-based) trigger work in your favor — it’s worth confirming with your bank or broker which version of the scheme actually applies to your purchase before assuming the terms.
How the 50%-Paid Threshold Actually Works
Direct answer: the 50% is calculated against payments you’ve made to the developer toward the property’s purchase price — not toward a bank loan, and not the same as a 50% loan-to-value mortgage.
This is a distinction buyers often get wrong. Two separate “50%” figures are in play in any off-plan mortgage conversation:
- 50% paid to the developer — this is the DHRE x ADCB partnership’s eligibility trigger. Once your cumulative payments under the developer’s payment plan reach half the purchase price, you become eligible to apply for financing on the remainder.
- Loan-to-value (LTV) ratio — a completely separate calculation the bank makes once you do apply, based on standard UAE mortgage rules (CBUAE mortgage regulations set maximum LTV by resident/non-resident status and whether it’s a first or subsequent property). The amount ADCB will actually lend you is capped by this ratio, applied to the property’s current bank valuation — not simply “the other 50%” of what you originally paid.
In practical terms: reaching the 50%-paid mark opens the door to apply. What you’re approved for still depends on your income, debt-to-burden ratio, residency status, and the bank’s own valuation of the unit at that point — the same underwriting factors that apply to any UAE mortgage application.
Who Actually Qualifies
Based on the terms reported for this partnership, eligibility follows the standard off-plan mortgage applicant profile, with the developer-payment trigger layered on top:
- You must be a confirmed buyer at Palm Jebel Ali, The Acres, or Nad Al Sheba Gardens (or another eligible Nakheel/Meraas/Dubai Properties development, under the standard milestone-based version of the scheme)
- You must have paid at least 50% of the property’s value to the developer under your Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) payment schedule
- You’ll need to meet ADCB’s standard income, employment, and debt-service coverage requirements — resident and non-resident applicants both remain eligible, subject to the LTV differences that already apply to non-residents under CBUAE rules
- Both conventional financing and, per ADCB’s own broader off-plan scheme messaging, Islamic home finance routes are available
If you’re not sure whether your specific unit or payment stage qualifies, this is exactly the kind of eligibility question worth confirming directly rather than guessing — payment schedules and construction status vary unit by unit even within the same development.
What Happens at Handover
The reported structure mirrors ADCB’s broader off-plan scheme: once the property is handed over, buyers transition from the off-plan financing arrangement into a full standard ADCB mortgage facility at ADCB’s prevailing rates at that time — not necessarily the same 3.49% introductory rate, which is a fixed-for-three-years promotional rate rather than a permanent one. Buyers should budget for the possibility that their rate resets to a market rate at the point of conversion, and should ask their bank or broker for the specific handover-conversion terms in writing before relying on the current rate holding indefinitely.
Why This Matters If You’re Buying at One of These Three Developments
Palm Jebel Ali in particular has drawn heavy investor interest since Nakheel relaunched sales on the man-made island, and a large share of buyers are on early, front-loaded payment plans. Under the old milestone-only rule, an investor who paid 50% of a unit’s value early in the project’s life — before major construction progress — had no financing option and had to either fund the remaining payments entirely in cash or wait, sometimes years, for the building to reach a bank-recognized construction stage. This partnership removes that wait for anyone who qualifies, which is a genuine structural change to how early-stage capital can be recycled or leveraged at these three specific projects.
That said, this is a financing-eligibility change, not investment advice — whether financing versus paying cash makes sense for your specific position depends on your broader finances, your exit plan for the unit, and current mortgage rates against your cost of capital. That’s a conversation for a mortgage consultant, not a blanket rule.
It’s also worth noting this fits a wider pattern rather than a one-off. Dubai Holding Real Estate has been actively building out bank financing partnerships across its portfolio through 2026 — an earlier arrangement with Emirates NBD in April 2026 covered similar ground for other Meraas, Nakheel, and Dubai Properties developments, and ADCB itself has since extended comparable off-plan schemes to buyers of Emaar Development and Ellington Properties units. A near-identical structure — full financing eligibility once a buyer reaches 50% of a property’s value paid, ahead of standard construction milestones — was also introduced in Abu Dhabi through an Aldar and ADCB partnership. The direction of travel across UAE developers and banks is clearly toward payment-based rather than purely construction-based financing triggers, so buyers at other developments should expect similar announcements to keep surfacing, and should always check the specific terms attached to their own project rather than assuming a general rule applies.
Step-by-Step: How to Apply
- Confirm your payment status with your developer’s sales team — get written confirmation of the percentage paid to date against the total purchase price.
- Contact ADCB or a mortgage broker to confirm your unit and development are covered under the DHRE partnership specifically (versus the broader general scheme, which has different pre-approval validity).
- Submit standard mortgage documentation — passport/Emirates ID, salary certificate or trade license and financials for self-employed applicants, bank statements, and your SPA with the developer’s payment schedule.
- Get your property valued — even with valuation fees waived, an independent bank valuation still has to happen; this determines your actual eligible LTV.
- Receive pre-approval, valid for up to 18 months under this specific partnership — use that window to plan your remaining payment schedule with certainty.
- At handover, convert into a standard ADCB mortgage facility at the bank’s prevailing rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 50% apply to my mortgage or to what I’ve paid the developer?
It’s based on what you’ve paid the developer under your SPA payment plan — not a loan amount, and not the same calculation as your eventual mortgage LTV.
Is this available at every Nakheel, Meraas, or Dubai Properties project?
No. The 50%-paid-regardless-of-construction-progress rule is specific to Palm Jebel Ali, The Acres, and Nad Al Sheba Gardens. Other developments from the same three developer brands remain on the standard construction-milestone-based version of ADCB’s off-plan financing.
What’s the actual interest rate?
Reported at 3.49% per annum, fixed for three years, for this partnership — matching the rate ADCB has offered on its broader April 2026 off-plan scheme. Confirm the current rate directly with ADCB or a broker before applying, since promotional rates on bank financing schemes can change.
How long is the pre-approval valid?
Up to 18 months under this specific DHRE partnership — longer than the 12-month (renewable annually) validity on ADCB’s general off-plan mortgage scheme announced in April 2026.
Are there processing or valuation fees?
Both are reported as waived under this partnership.
Can non-residents apply?
The scheme doesn’t appear to exclude non-residents outright, but non-resident buyers remain subject to the lower maximum LTV that already applies under CBUAE mortgage regulations for non-resident applicants, separate from this partnership’s terms.
What happens to my rate after handover?
You transition into a standard ADCB mortgage facility at ADCB’s prevailing rate at that time. The 3.49% rate is fixed for three years as a feature of the off-plan financing period — it is not guaranteed to continue unchanged indefinitely after handover.
Can I use Islamic (Sharia-compliant) financing under this scheme?
ADCB’s broader off-plan financing messaging includes an Islamic home finance route through the same application process. Confirm directly with ADCB or your broker whether the Islamic variant is available under this specific DHRE partnership for your development.
Is this the same as a regular off-plan mortgage?
No — it changes when you become eligible to apply (based on payment progress instead of construction progress) for these three developments specifically. The underlying mortgage approval process, documentation, and LTV rules that follow are the standard UAE off-plan mortgage process.
Do I need a broker to access this, or can I go directly to ADCB?
You can approach ADCB directly, but a mortgage broker who already knows which of your specific units/developments fall under this partnership versus the general scheme can save you from applying under the wrong terms or missing the longer 18-month pre-approval window you may be entitled to.
Get the Right Financing Terms for Your Development
Off-plan financing rules now genuinely differ by development, by developer partnership, and by which specific ADCB scheme applies to your purchase — getting this wrong can mean settling for a 12-month pre-approval when you actually qualify for 18, or missing your financing eligibility entirely by assuming the wrong trigger applies. Al Ghaf Mortgage’s Mortgage Consulting and Banking Consultation services can confirm exactly which terms apply to your unit at Palm Jebel Ali, The Acres, Nad Al Sheba Gardens, or any other off-plan development, and guide your application from pre-approval through to handover.
Message Al Ghaf on WhatsApp: +971 50 127 6925
Or contact us to speak with a mortgage consultant about your specific development and payment stage.
Related reading: Off-Plan Mortgage Financing in Dubai: How It Works, UAE Mortgage Eligibility: How Much Can You Borrow?, Mortgage Pre-Approval Explained, Best Mortgage Banks in the UAE (2026), Bank Valuation Lower Than Your Purchase Price?, UAE Banks Are Tightening Mortgage Lending in 2026.
For buyers weighing this new payment-milestone flexibility, it’s worth understanding how Dubai’s escrow account rules protect off-plan payments before construction is complete.