This is a complete map of the stages of an off-plan sales project as regulated by the implementing regulations, from qualification to project closure and withdrawal of the surplus. Knowing the stages in advance helps the developer plan finances and time, and helps the buyer understand what happens to their money at each step. Each stage has engineering, financial and regulatory requirements, and a delay in any one carries into the next. This guide sets out the seven stages in order, each party's role in them, and the key points to watch. For the full picture: The complete guide to the Wafi platform.
Stage 1: Qualification
Registration in the developers' register with the required points, and accreditation of the consulting office and chartered accountant under their conditions. Read: Consulting office conditions in Wafi.
Stage 2: Marketing (Optional)
A marketing licence within 10 working days lasting no more than 180 days, with reservations of no more than 5% of the unit's value deposited in the escrow account. Read: Wafi licensing duration.
Stage 3: Project Licence
The feasibility study, the compliance letter from Etmam or the permit authority, the sorting record if there are sorted units, and annotation of the deed. Read: Engineering documents for the Wafi file.
Stage 4: Escrow Account
Activated after licensing and annotation, and buyers' payments are deposited in it directly. Read: The escrow account and buyer protection.
Stage 5: Construction
- Supervision and project progress reports monthly or quarterly. Read: Supervising off-plan sales projects.
- Disbursement by documents certified by the consultant and accountant.
- Updating the project database with reports and as-built drawings.
Stage 6: Handover and Ownership
- Providing the buyer with the unit's actual drawings.
- Sorting and transfer of title. Read: From contract to deed.
Stage 7: Closure
- Final financial statements from the chartered accountant.
- To withdraw the surplus: a final financial report certified by the consultant and accountant, and the authority's permission.
- The retained amount is subject to defect provisions, and may be released early against an approved latent defects insurance policy of no less than one year.
Table: Stage, Main Party and the Consultant's Role
| Stage | Main party | The engineering consultant's role |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification | Developer | Meeting the accreditation conditions |
| Marketing | Developer and authority | Submitting designs and drawings |
| Project licence | Developer, Etmam and authority | The engineering file and sorting plan. Read: Off-plan unit sorting |
| Escrow account | Bank | Later certifying disbursement documents |
| Construction | Contractor | Supervision, measurement and reports |
| Handover | Developer and buyer | Inspecting defects and as-built drawings |
| Closure | Accountant and authority | Certifying the final financial report |
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the escrow account closed?
It is not closed by agreement with the developer without the authority's approval.
Is the surplus released automatically?
No; only after a certified financial report and the authority's permission, and the authority may withhold it for delay or quality breaches.
Is the marketing stage mandatory?
No; it is optional and allows reservations before the project licence.
When does construction start?
After the project licence and activation of the escrow account under the procedures.
Which stage is the longest?
Usually construction, whose duration is set in the licence and contracts. Read: A delayed off-plan project.
How Abak Engineering Consultancy Helps
Abak is an accredited engineering office that accompanies your off-plan project through all its engineering stages, from the engineering file and sorting plan to supervision, linking payments to progress, and certifying the closure report. See our payments-to-progress linking service, or contact us.
Regulatory information is based on the Balady platform and the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, and procedures may be updated by the competent authority. Last reviewed: October 2026.