Project Cancellation (RERA)

Project cancellation is the regulator's formal termination of a stalled or non-viable off-plan development. In Dubai, RERA monitors registered projects' construction progress and escrow position, and can cancel a project that is abandoned, fails to progress, or breaches the regulatory framework. Cancellation triggers a defined process for buyers' money: amounts held in the project's escrow account are applied to refund purchasers, and Dubai established a special judicial committee dedicated to liquidating cancelled projects and adjudicating buyers' claims — these claims go to that committee rather than the ordinary courts. For affected buyers the practical steps are to register their claim with supporting documents (SPA, Oqood certificate, payment receipts) and pursue the refund process, understanding that recovery depends heavily on what remains in escrow and the project's assets. The regime is also why pre-purchase checks matter: a project's registration and escrow status with RERA is verifiable before you ever pay.