Real estate and construction:
from title to handover

01

What exactly does the investor buy?

Ownership

Registered ownership if admissible

Usufruct

Long-term right of use under contract and law

Lease

Lease right, term, renewal and restrictions

Off-plan

Contractual right to a future object with project/escrow risk

Shares

Indirect ownership through a company is not a replacement for property due diligence

02

Foreign ownership varies by location and product

One cannot proceed from the general right of a foreigner to buy any plot. Nationality/residence, purpose, Integrated Tourism Complex or other approved project, form of law, geographic restrictions and regulator approval conditions are checked.

03

Real Estate Registry Law 2026

Royal Decree 56/2026 introduced a new real estate registry law and strengthened the digital registry circuit. For a transaction, not only the agreement and payment are important, but also the recording of rights, encumbrances, cadastral identity and the powers of the registrar.

04

Title and project due diligence

Owner

Registered owner and authority to sell/lease

Plot

Krooki, boundaries, access and cadastral match

Rights

Mortgage, usufruct, lease, easement and restrictions

Planning

Use, density, height, setbacks and parking

Utilities

Capacity, connection, rights of way and cost

Project

Developer license, approvals, escrow and construction status

05

Planning and site assignment

Commercial idea must comply with the approved plan. Changing use, subdivision, consolidation, access or density goes through a separate procedure. The economic model takes into account not the promised, but the legally confirmed buildable area.

06

Building permit and commencement

Gov.om lists technical documents, approvals, land ownership or government-land usufruct, site plan, identity documents, consultant letter and site photos among permit materials. Before the start of work, supervision arrangement, contractor records and commencement approval are additionally issued.

1. 01
   Design

   Architectural, structural and engineering package.

2. 02
   Approvals

   Municipality and relevant authorities.

3. 03
   Permit

   Approved plans and building license.

4. 04
   Commencement

   Consultant, contractor, site controls and start permit.

5. 05
   Inspections

   Stage reports, completion and occupancy/handover.

07

Contractual structure of the project

08

Off-plan development and escrow

The buyer and the financing bank check developer, project registration, land right, approvals, escrow account, payment milestones, permitted withdrawals, completion, cancellation and refund mechanics. The official MoHUP list of escrow accounts is used as one of the sources, but does not replace due diligence.

09

Construction management

Baseline

Approved program and critical path

Instructions

Who has the right to change scope and price

Records

Daily reports, labour, plant, photos and correspondence

Payment

Measurement, certificates, retention and set-off

Quality

Submittals, tests, NCR, defects and warranties

Handover

Completion criteria, as-builts, manuals and permits

10

Variations, delay and claims

Claim is won by records, not by a general feeling of injustice. Notice, contractual deadline, cause, contemporaneous evidence, program impact, mitigation and quantum are prepared in real time.

Variation

Written instruction, evaluation and time effect

Delay

Critical path, concurrency and mitigation

Payment

Certification, due date and supporting measurement

Force majeure

Contract definition, notice and consequences

Termination

Ground, cure, security, site handover and evidence

11

Purchase and exit

1. 01

   Check buyer eligibility and form of entitlement.

2. 02

   Get registry, plot, encumbrance and planning evidence.

3. 03

   Agree on price, tax, escrow, conditions and completion.

4. 04

   Register transfer and update utilities/management.

5. 05

   For sales, check approvals, pre-emption and discharge in advance.