Off Plan Payment Plans Explained

Updated 1 October 2026

The two numbers split the price between what you pay before handover and what you pay at or after it. On our list, 60/40 is the most common split (360 projects), then 50/50 (262), 70/30 (166), 80/20 (155) and 40/60 (151). The most common down payment is 10%, asked by 734 of the 1,640 projects that state one.

How do you read 60/40, 50/50 and 80/20?

On developer price sheets the first number is the share paid from booking to completion and the second is the share due at handover or after it. A 60/40 plan on a AED 1 million unit means AED 600,000 over the build, down payment included, and AED 400,000 at handover. An 80/20 plan front-loads the price: AED 800,000 before you get the keys.

Which splits do Dubai developers use most?

Of the 2,716 projects we list, 1,912 publish a plan. The ten most common:

60/40: 360 projects
50/50: 262
70/30: 166
80/20: 155
40/60: 151
"Easy Payment Plan" with no split given: 94
1% monthly: 68
30/70: 68
65/35: 51
90/10: 48

Plans that put more than half after handover, such as 30/70 and 20/80, are rarer: 108 projects between those two.

How big is the down payment?

The down payment counts toward the first number of the split, not on top of it. Of the 1,640 projects that state one, 734 ask for 10%, 623 for 20% and 187 for 5%. Thirty-nine ask for 15% and 14 for the full price, 12 of them on finished buildings. With a 5% down payment, check when the next installment falls due before you compare it with a 10% plan.

Which projects let you keep paying after you move in?

Post-handover plans spread part of the price over the years after you get the keys. We count 64 projects with one, from "60/40 (Post-Handover)" and "70/30 (Post-Handover)" (eight projects each) to "60/40, 2 Yrs Post-Handover" (six). The listing doesn't always say over how many months the post-handover part runs, so ask for the schedule before you compare two of them. Our comparison table puts plans side by side.

Why a bank can't cover the payments before handover

The Central Bank caps mortgages on off plan property at 50% of the value, and lenders limit all your loan repayments to 50% of your monthly income (CBUAE mortgage regulations). On a 60/40 plan the 60% is due while the building is going up, so it has to come from savings. The affordability calculator shows how much of a price your income supports.

What the listings leave out

Of the 2,716 projects, 804 show no plan at all and send you to the developer for it. Another 94 say only "Easy Payment Plan" and 68 say "1% monthly" without the total term, which isn't enough to compare. The plan that binds you is the schedule attached to your sale contract, so ask for that document before you pay the deposit, and check that each installment date is tied to a calendar date or a construction stage you can verify.

60/40 against 80/20, and the deposit

Is 60/40 better than 80/20?

For your cash flow, yes: on a AED 1 million unit, 60/40 asks AED 200,000 less before handover than 80/20. Compare the total price as well as the split, since two projects with the same plan can differ a lot in price.

Does the down payment count toward the 60?

Yes. The split covers the whole price, so a 10% down payment on a 60/40 plan leaves 50% to pay during construction.