The UAE has announced new mortgage plans to slash bureaucracy and support real estate efficiency.
In a move toward seamless government services in the UAE, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) held its inaugural Customer Council meeting to overhaul the mortgage release procedure following loan repayment.
The initiative—part of the Ministry’s Smart Government agenda—brings together federal and local authorities, the Emirates Development Bank, and end-users to pinpoint bottlenecks and co-design a streamlined process.
UAE mortgage procedures
Council participants identified key hurdles that traditionally burdened homebuyers:
- Multiple required visits to various entities
- Inconsistent document checklists across emirates
- Lack of digital integration, prolonging case closures
Under the new model, piloting in Ajman before nationwide rollout, all direct debit cancellations will be automatically processed by Emirates Development Bank as soon as a loan is cleared.
Physical trips to collect loan guarantees are eliminated in participating emirates, and digital connectivity between MoEI, Emirates Development Bank, and Ajman’s Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation ensures instant notifications once transactions finalise.
These combined enhancements shrink the service timeline from several days to just one working day from repayment.
In concrete terms, customers will no longer need the previous six documents nor make the five visits once deemed unavoidable—achieving a 100 percent reduction in procedural steps.
Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at MoEI, said: “The Customer Council meeting aligns with the UAE Government’s vision of building flexible and smart government services that place the customer at the heart of improvement and development.
“It reflects our commitment to involving customers in decision-making and enhancing transparency. The proposed solutions today are based on actual needs that have been identified and analysed within the framework of the Government Accelerators.
“We believe that achieving zero bureaucracy can only be realised through digital integration, streamlined procedures, and the elimination of unnecessary requirements—goals we have already begun to achieve through this initiative.
“The Ministry will continue working with its strategic partners to translate the outcomes of this council into concrete, actionable improvements that enhance customer satisfaction and elevate the UAE’s global rankings in government service efficiency.”
Echoing this, Mohammed Bin Taliah, Chief of Government Services of the UAE Government, noted that the mortgage release service after loan repayment represents a significant leap in the level of integration between federal and local entities.
Omar bin Omair Al Muhairi, Director-General of the Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation in Ajman, stated that participation in the first customer council on mortgage release procedures comes as part of the strategic partnership with MoEI and in continuation of joint efforts to shape the future of the real estate sector and enhance the efficiency of government work through proactive service packages that keep pace with rapid development.
