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Buying in Tilal Al Ghaf is never a single-payment transaction, not even for cash buyers. Majid Al Futtaim Properties (MAF) structures new-launch sales around phased schedules tied to construction milestones. Use this guide as a reference when you're comparing financial commitments before you pick a unit, whether that's a resale townhouse or an ultra-luxury off-plan mansion. If you'd rather start with community context before unit pricing, head to the Tilal Al Ghaf community guide.
Quick Facts
- Most common off-plan plan: 60/40 (60% during construction, 40% at handover)
- Typical booking deposit: 10% of purchase price
- Post-handover option: available on selected launches (e.g. Alaya's 10/45/5/40); not universal
- Resale properties: standard mortgage or cash; no developer plan applies
Key Takeaways
- Construction-linked plans ask for 10% at booking plus milestones during build; resale buyers lean on mortgages instead.
- The 60/40 post-handover plan has one big perk: you collect rental income from day one and use it to service the remaining 40%.
- Total cash-to-close on a AED 2.5M Elan resale with a non-resident mortgage lands near AED 780,000, not just the down payment figure.
- Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 requires every off-plan buyer payment to sit in RERA-regulated escrow, a structural buyer protection unique to Dubai in the GCC.
This is the default plan for most active off-plan launches in Tilal Al Ghaf. MAF ties payments to verified construction milestones:
Construction-linked plans don't leave any deferred payment after key collection. Your financial commitment ends at handover. The trade-off is a bigger handover payment, so you'll need more cash on the day keys change hands. Rental income also doesn't start until handover.
Alaya's 10 / 45 / 5 / 40 plan is the most buyer-friendly active plan in Tilal Al Ghaf: 10% at booking, 45% during construction, 5% at completion, then a 40% tail paid after handover. That 40% post-handover component is the longest deferred tail of any TAG sub-community, and MAF designed it as a deliberate selling feature.
Here's the big benefit: you can rent the unit out right after you get the key and use that income to cover the post-handover instalments. A longer tail means the rent covers more.
Not every launch offers a post-handover plan. Amara, for instance, uses a standard 60/40 construction-linked split with no real post-handover tail. Always check the current offer sheet for whichever project you're considering, because plans shift between launches.
Paying the full purchase price at SPA signing strips out all the payment complexity. The perks:
Cash shows up often at the ultra-luxury tier (Serenity, Elysian, Lanai Islands), where buyers are less likely to need financing structures.
| Sub-community | Status | Plan type | Booking | During construction | On handover | Post-handover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elan (resale) | Delivered | Mortgage/cash | — | — | 100% | — |
| Aura Gardens (resale) | Delivered | Mortgage/cash | — | — | 100% | — |
| Harmony I & II (resale) | Delivered | Mortgage/cash | — | — | 100% | — |
| Harmony III (resale) | Delivered 2025 | Mortgage/cash | — | — | 100% | — |
| Alaya / Alaya Beach | Off-plan (under construction) | 10/45/5/40 | 10% | 45% | 5% | 40% |
| Amara (off-plan) | Off-plan (under construction) | 60/40 | 10% | 50% | 40% | — |
| Lanai Islands | Off-plan (under construction) | Bespoke | 10% | — | — | — |
All percentages are indicative based on developer-published patterns. Verify the active MAF offer sheet for your chosen project before signing.
Elan is fully delivered, so no off-plan developer plan applies. Resale buyers take one of two routes.
Mortgage (most common): Under CBUAE rules, UAE resident buyers qualify for up to 80% LTV on properties under AED 5M (70% above); non-residents qualify for 70% LTV under AED 5M (60% above); UAE nationals get a 5-percentage-point uplift. Off-plan purchases of any kind are capped at 50% LTV across the board.
Worked example — AED 2.5M Elan 3-bed, non-resident buyer (30% down at 70% LTV):
For current Elan pricing and comparable units, see villas for sale.
All three Harmony phases are now fully delivered: Harmony I (2022), Harmony II (handover from January 2025), and Harmony III (handover through 2025). Resale buyers across the entire Harmony range use mortgage financing or cash only, so developer payment plans no longer apply. Mortgage is common at this price tier (AED 7M–10M); under CBUAE rules, residents qualify for 70% LTV above AED 5M and non-residents for 60% LTV above AED 5M, and banks usually want strong income documentation.
For townhouse buyers specifically, see townhouses for sale for Elan and Aura context.
Alaya / Alaya Beach: MAF's developer-published 10 / 45 / 5 / 40 plan: 10% booking, 45% construction, 5% completion, 40% post-handover. Alaya is still under construction. That 40% post-handover tail is the longest deferred payment window on any current TAG launch, and it meaningfully cuts the cash you'll need at handover compared to a standard 60/40 construction-linked plan. Confirm the current price list and schedule with MAF before signing.
Amara: standard 60/40 construction-linked plan: 10% booking, 50% during construction, 40% on handover. No real post-handover tail on the Amara launch.
Lanai Islands: ultra-luxury mansions still under construction. Payment terms here are typically bespoke and negotiated directly with MAF's private client team, so figures aren't published in a standard offer sheet. A standard escrow structure still applies under Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, regardless of purchase price.
This is where many first-time Dubai buyers get caught short. Beyond the purchase price and DLD fee:
| Cost | Amount | Payable by |
|---|---|---|
| DLD transfer fee | 4% of purchase price | Buyer |
| DLD admin | AED 4,000–5,000 | Buyer |
| Agency fee | 2% + 5% VAT (effectively 2.1%) | Buyer |
| Mortgage arrangement fee | 0.5–1% of loan | Buyer |
| Property valuation | AED 2,500–5,000 | Buyer |
| Snagging inspection | AED 1,500–4,000 | Buyer (optional but recommended) |
| Service charge (annual) | AED 3.50–7.00/ft²/year (Mollak / Dubai REST) | Owner |
| DEWA connection deposit | AED 2,000–4,000 | Tenant (refundable) |
| Ejari registration | AED 220 | Landlord/agent (if renting) |
Service-charge note: under the DLD's Mollak system (accessible through the Dubai REST app using a title deed number or UAE Pass), Tilal Al Ghaf villa and townhouse charges run AED 3.50–4.50/ft² for Elan, AED 3.50–5.00/ft² for Aura Gardens, and AED 4.50–7.00/ft² for Harmony / Alaya. That's well below the AED 15–22/ft² figures generalist Dubai property writing often quotes, because those reflect apartment-tower charges, not master-planned villas.
Bank mortgage: available from every major UAE bank. Islamic (Ijara) and conventional mortgage products both exist. The choice is yours; rates and structures differ, and the Islamic option isn't universally cheaper. Get comparative quotes before you commit to a specific lender.
Developer plan vs bank mortgage: Developer plans are typically 0% interest, so you pay the face price in instalments. Bank mortgages carry a market interest rate. On a AED 5M loan at 5.5% annual, the annual interest cost is AED 275,000 in the early years. A bank mortgage does give you the title deed on completion, while a developer plan keeps your name on an Oqood (interim registration) until all milestones clear.
Hybrid approach: some investors run a developer plan during construction, then refinance with a bank mortgage at handover once a title deed is issued. That can work well if mortgage rates have moved favourably by the time of handover.
No. Post-handover plans are developer offers on new launches. Resale transactions between two private parties use standard financing (mortgage or cash). If you want a post-handover plan, you'll need to buy from MAF directly on an active launch.
Off-plan sales contracts usually include a grace period (30 days) for missed milestones, followed by penalty interest on the outstanding amount. Extended non-payment can lead to unit cancellation and a deduction from your deposit (subject to contract terms and RERA regulations). Call MAF immediately if you think a payment will be difficult; developers generally prefer to restructure rather than cancel.
It depends on the deal. Developer plans are interest-free and reduce upfront cash. Bank mortgages are interest-bearing but give you a title deed and the flexibility to sell or refinance earlier. Run the total cost of ownership calculation for both options before you decide. A UAE-based mortgage broker can model both scenarios in AED.
Yes, in principle. Off-plan resale requires a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from MAF. The new buyer takes on your remaining payment obligations, and the Oqood is transferred into their name. The DLD fee (4%) is payable again by the incoming buyer on the current market price, not your original purchase price.
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