1.1 Market Players: DLD, RERA, DREI, the RDC and the Special Tribunal
Key Takeaways
The Dubai Land Department (DLD) is the only entity authorised to register real property rights and long-term leases in Dubai (Article 6 of Law No. 7 of 2006).
RERA is the regulatory arm of DLD, created by Law No. 16 of 2007 and now governed by Law No. 4 of 2019 Concerning the Real Estate Regulatory Agency.
The Dubai Real Estate Institute (DREI) is DLD's training arm; DLD says its training has no exam at the end and broker exams are conducted separately.
The RDC (Decree No. 26 of 2013) hears rent disputes; first-instance judgments in claims below AED 100,000 are final except eviction and other listed cases.
Disputes on unfinished and cancelled off-plan projects go to the Special Tribunal formed by Decree No. 21 of 2013 and expanded by Decree No. 33 of 2020.
1.1 Market Players: DLD, RERA, DREI, the RDC and the Special Tribunal
The broker course opens with the institutions because almost every exam question about a process ("who issues the title deed?", "where is a tenancy dispute filed?", "who approves service charges?") is really a question about which body has the legal power. Dubai concentrates nearly all real estate governance inside the Dubai Land Department (DLD) and its agencies, but each agency has a distinct legal basis and a distinct job.
1. Dubai Land Department (DLD): the registrar
DLD traces its origin to 1960 and today operates under Law No. 7 of 2013 Concerning the Land Department. Its core powers come from Law No. 7 of 2006 Concerning Real Property Registration in the Emirate of Dubai:
- Sole registrar. Article 6 of Law No. 7 of 2006 makes DLD the only entity authorised to register real property rights and long-term leasehold contracts. Developers, brokers and notaries cannot register title.
- Registers. DLD keeps the Property Register (completed property), the Interim Property Register for off-plan sales (Law No. 13 of 2008), the Jointly Owned Real Property Register (Law No. 6 of 2019) and the register of real estate brokers (Bylaw No. 85 of 2006).
- Fees. Registration fees are set by Executive Council Resolution No. 30 of 2013. A sale is charged 4% of the value, shared equally by seller and buyer unless they agree otherwise; in practice buyers usually agree to pay all of it.
- Service partners. Transfers are processed at Real Estate Registration Trustee centres, private offices licensed by DLD to enter transactions into its system.
Important
DLD vs. RERA. DLD registers ownership and issues title deeds. RERA regulates the people and companies who operate in the market. RERA does not issue title deeds.
2. Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA): the regulator
RERA was created by Law No. 16 of 2007 and is now governed by Law No. 4 of 2019 Concerning the Real Estate Regulatory Agency. It works inside DLD and supervises market conduct:
| RERA function | Legal source | What a broker sees |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing brokers and offices | Bylaw No. 85 of 2006 | Broker card (BRN) and office registration (ORN) through Trakheesi |
| Advertising control | DLD/RERA circulars | Trakheesi advertising permits with a Madmoun QR code (required from 24 April 2023) |
| Developers and escrow | Law No. 8 of 2007 | Developer register, project escrow (trust) accounts |
| Tenancy registration | Law No. 26 of 2007, Article 4 | Ejari registration of every lease |
| Rent increases | Decree No. 43 of 2013 | The RERA rental index (Smart Rental Index since 2 January 2025) |
| Jointly owned property | Law No. 6 of 2019 | Approval of service-charge budgets, management companies and owners committees via Mollak |
3. Dubai Real Estate Institute (DREI): the trainer
DREI is DLD's education arm. It runs the Certified Training for Real Estate Brokers course (also delivered by DLD-approved training institutes) and continuing-education courses. DLD's training page states that its training is delivered in English and that there is no exam after the training: exams are conducted separately for categories such as brokers. The broker exam is booked through DLD's "Dubai Brokers" exam service, with a published fee of AED 700 plus AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees.
4. Rent Disputes Settlement Centre (RDC): the tenancy court
Decree No. 26 of 2013 renamed and restructured the former Special Tribunal for landlord–tenant disputes (Decree No. 2 of 1993) as the Rent Disputes Settlement Centre, headquartered at DLD.
- Jurisdiction (Article 6): exclusive jurisdiction over rent disputes in the Emirate and in free zones, except free zones with their own tribunals (for example DIFC), lease-finance disputes, and long-term leases under Law No. 7 of 2006. Law No. 6 of 2019 later gave the RDC exclusive jurisdiction over jointly owned property disputes and execution of unpaid service charges.
- Structure (Article 7): a Mediation and Conciliation Directorate, a First Instance Division, an Appellate Division and a Judgment Enforcement Directorate.
- Speed: mediation aims to settle within 15 days of the parties appearing (a signed settlement has the force of a writ of execution); first-instance tribunals must decide within 30 days of referral (both extendable).
- Appeals (Articles 17–18): judgments in claims below AED 100,000 are final, except eviction judgments and listed procedural defects. Appeals are filed within 15 days, and an appellant against a money judgment deposits half of the judgment amount.
5. The Special Tribunal for unfinished and cancelled projects
When RERA cancels an off-plan project, buyers do not sue in the ordinary courts. Decree No. 21 of 2013 formed a special tribunal to liquidate cancelled real property projects and settle related rights, and Decree No. 33 of 2020 extended it to unfinished projects. It is the forum the course calls the "Special Judicial Committee".
6. Putting the bodies together
| Body | Legal basis | Main output |
|---|---|---|
| DLD | Law No. 7 of 2013; Law No. 7 of 2006 | Title deeds, registers, transfer fees |
| RERA | Law No. 16 of 2007, now Law No. 4 of 2019 | Licences, permits, escrow and service-charge supervision |
| DREI | DLD training arm | Certified broker training, CPD |
| RDC | Decree No. 26 of 2013 | Rent and JOP judgments, enforcement |
| Special Tribunal | Decree No. 21 of 2013; Decree No. 33 of 2020 | Liquidation of cancelled and unfinished projects |
A single transaction touches several of them: the agent qualifies through DREI training and the DLD exam, the office's Trakheesi account (RERA) issues the advertising permit, the sale is registered by DLD at a trustee centre, the new owner registers the lease in Ejari, and any later tenancy dispute goes to the RDC.
An international investor purchasing an apartment in Downtown Dubai asks their licensed broker whether RERA will issue their Title Deed upon closing at the Registration Trustee office. How should the broker correctly explain the division of institutional responsibilities?
The Dubai Land Department (DLD) retains sole sovereign authority to record ownership in the Real Estate Register and issue the official Title Deed, whereas RERA regulates market participants, brokerage licensing, and escrow accounts.
RERA issues the final Title Deed after conducting a compliance review of the contract, while DLD only collects the statutory 4% transfer fee.
The Registration Trustee office issues the permanent Title Deed under the delegated authority of the Dubai Real Estate Institute (DREI).
The Rental Dispute Centre (RDC) must validate the purchase contract and approve the title issuance before DLD can record the buyer's name.
A landlord in Business Bay wants to evict a tenant who sub-let bedrooms without written consent. Which body has jurisdiction to hear the eviction claim?
The Rent Disputes Settlement Centre (RDC)
The Dubai Police General Department of Criminal Investigation
The Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) licensing department
The ordinary Dubai Courts Civil Court of First Instance
A trainee asks which entity runs the Certified Training for Real Estate Brokers course that prepares candidates for the broker exam. What is the best answer?
The Department of Economy and Tourism (DET)
The Rent Disputes Settlement Centre (RDC)
The UAE Ministry of Economy
The Dubai Real Estate Institute (DREI), the training arm of the Dubai Land Department, together with DLD-approved training institutes
A tenant loses an RDC first-instance case in which the landlord claimed AED 60,000 of unpaid rent; no eviction was ordered. Can the tenant appeal on the merits?
Yes, every RDC judgment can be appealed within 30 days
No. Judgments in claims below AED 100,000 are final unless an exception applies, such as an eviction judgment or a jurisdiction or service defect
Yes, but only after depositing the full judgment amount
No, because rent claims can only be settled in mediation
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.