Dubai Property SPA: 40 Pages of Arabic Explained

You found the apartment. You negotiated the price. The agent is smiling. Then the Sale and Purchase Agreement lands on the table. Forty pages. Arabic. You don’t read Arabic. The agent says: “It’s standard. Just sign here, here, and here.”

People buy million-dirham properties in Dubai every day without reading the contract. That’s a risk you don’t need to take.

What’s actually in a Dubai SPA

A Sale and Purchase Agreement at DLD is not a simple receipt. It covers:

• Payment schedule. When each installment is due, how much, and to which account. For off-plan properties, this can span years with specific milestone triggers.
• Penalty clauses. What happens if you miss a payment. Late fees, forfeiture terms, and the developer’s right to cancel. These are the clauses that matter most, and they’re buried in the Arabic text.
• Handover conditions. When the developer must deliver, what constitutes “completion,” and your rights if they’re late. Delays are common in Dubai’s property market.
• Defect liability. How long after handover the developer is responsible for construction defects. This varies and affects your ability to claim repairs.
• Service charges. Annual maintenance fees, who sets them, and how they can increase. These are ongoing costs that aren’t always discussed during the sales pitch.

The Arabic version controls

Some developers provide bilingual SPAs. Some provide English summaries. But in UAE courts, the Arabic text is what matters. If the English says “handover within 12 months” and the Arabic says “handover within 18 months,” the Arabic prevails.

This isn’t hypothetical. It happens. The gap between Arabic and English versions of the same contract is a known issue in Dubai property disputes. And if the seller dies mid-transaction, the inheritance document chain adds months of Arabic paperwork before the sale can close.

Getting it translated before signing

A 40-page SPA takes 2-3 business days to translate. That’s a small delay against a purchase that will define your finances for years. The certified English translation lets you review every clause, compare it against what the agent told you, and ask questions before you’re legally bound.

For personal review purposes, a certified translation is sufficient. If you later need the translation for a court dispute or foreign mortgage application, MOJ certification may be required. Arrange it through our legal translation service.

What to watch for

• Payment forfeiture. Some SPAs allow the developer to keep 30-40% of paid amounts if you default. This clause is in the Arabic. Know it before you sign.
• Completion date ambiguity. “Expected completion” is different from “guaranteed completion.” The Arabic wording determines your legal recourse if the project is delayed.
• Resale restrictions. Some off-plan SPAs restrict resale until a certain percentage is paid or until handover. This affects your exit options.

If you’re buying property in Dubai and want to read your SPA before signing, send it on WhatsApp: +971 50 862 0217. We’ll translate the full agreement so you know exactly what you’re committing to.