Preparing Project-Document Translations and Verifying Before Submission
An off-plan real-estate project is intended to develop and sell or lease developed land or real-estate units before implementation begins or while construction and development are under way according to the agreed design or plan. Depending on the purpose, material translation items may include the project-licence file, contract and schedules, plans and technical records, escrow documents, disclosures, and project records. The reviewed official sources do not establish that every document must be translated or that one certification route applies universally. Identify the receiving body and obtain its current instructions, while preserving names, numbers, dates, and revisions exactly as they appear in the source and never guessing when a discrepancy exists.
- Project-licence application, cover letter, and supporting documents
- Valid commercial register, chamber membership certificate, and credit report
- Title deed, land-development agreement, main- and sub-developer agreements, and registration or title-notation records
- Building permit, approved architectural and engineering plans, and as-built plans
- Consultant, certified-accountant, and applicable broker or marketer agreements
- Feasibility study, financial records, progress reports, and completion certificates
- Off-plan sale or lease contract, booking form, payment schedule, amendments, and delivery provisions
- Escrow-opening agreement, bank instructions, deposit references, and disbursement records
- Unit-separation record, common-ownership documents, supplier data, and warranty certificates
- Disclosures, notices, requests for accounting-record copies, and project-database extracts
Define the document scope by identifying the off-plan project, translation purpose, and receiving body.
Check developer registration, the project licence, and any applicable marketing licence; translation does not cure an absent licence.
Obtain the latest signed or officially issued source, including schedules, plans, amendments, stamps, and referenced attachments.
Create consistent terminology for the project, developer, unit, title deed, licence, escrow account, payment milestones, delivery, and warranties.
Translate the complete contract with its schedules, preserving payment schedules, delivery dates, delay, compensation, termination, and common-ownership clauses.
Preserve revision numbers, scales, units, engineering references, account references, and deposits, and flag illegible fields.
Cross-check the translation against project or licence information and escrow and unit references for consistency.
Confirm the recipient's current language, certification, and submission requirements, and retain the source, translation, and revision history without implying acceptance.
| Document type | Common use | Note |
|---|---|---|
What is an off-plan real-estate project?
It is a project intended to develop and sell or lease developed land or real-estate units before implementation begins or while construction and development are under way according to the agreed design or plan.
Does the law cover leasing as well as selling?
Yes. The law covers the sale and lease of off-plan real-estate projects, including cases where money is received from lessees.
Must the developer be registered?
A developer may not conduct the activity until entered in the developers' register, and the project must be licensed before advertising it under the law and regulations.
Is there an official rule requiring translation of every document?
The reviewed official sources do not establish a general rule to that effect. Confirm the requirements of the receiving body for each file.
What are the main project-licence documents?
They include the commercial register, chamber membership, credit report, building permit, title deed, land and developer agreements, approved plans, consultant and certified-accountant contracts, feasibility study, sale-contract template, and escrow-opening agreement, subject to possible additional conditions.
Can there be a marketing licence before the project licence?
The regulations allow a developer to request a marketing licence before the project licence, subject to the listed documents and period.
What is the booking cap during a marketing licence?
The developer may not receive more than 5% of the unit value, and booking amounts must be deposited into the designated escrow account.
Is there one escrow account for all projects?
No. An independent escrow account is established for each project and is activated only after the project licence and required title notation are completed.
Which clauses matter in the sale or lease contract?
The regulations identify the payment schedule, buyer or lessee delay, compensation or equivalent rent for developer delay, termination, implementation period and extensions, and common ownership.
Should plans be translated with the contract?
If plans or schedules form part of the contract or licensing file, handle them as linked documents and preserve revision numbers, scales, and technical data without guessing. This is a practical safeguard, not a published translation rule.
Can a buyer or lessee obtain their accounting record?
Yes. The buyer, lessee, or representative may inspect the accounting record, and the regulations require the developer to provide a copy within ten working days of the request.
What can appear in the project database?
It may include the project name, title deed, plan, location, area and units, developer, professional-party and bank information, project period and start and delivery dates, and progress reports.
What unit warranty periods are stated in the Wafi FAQ?
The Wafi page states ten years for structural, concrete, and insulation work and one year for mechanical and electrical installations from delivery. Do not generalize this beyond the published context or the specific contract.
Does a translation guarantee acceptance?
No. The reviewed sources provide no acceptance guarantee. Acceptance depends on the receiving body and the current requirements for the file.
What should be done if a number or date differs in the translation?
Check the official source, identify the discrepancy, and seek clarification from the issuing or receiving body. The translator should not select a number or date by guesswork.
This guide is for general information and is not legal or consular advice. Always verify current requirements with the receiving authority.