A new update to the DubaiNow application now allows UAE citizens in Dubai to obtain the Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment’s housing grants exchange service. Through the Emirati platform within the app, citizens can now exchange grants, land plots and residential units among themselves, provided the residential properties intended for exchange are available and meet the service conditions.

This digital service is part of Dubai’s Digital City Experiences initiative, and the joint efforts of Dubai’s government entities to transform the emirate into a global digital economy capital. The Digital City Experiences initiative aims to proactively develop and execute seamless digital city services via unified platforms that create value for users. The initiative seeks to combine these services to create an end-to-end system that is user-focused and easy to use, representing a major leap in Dubai’s digital quality of life.

The launch of the housing grant exchange service comes on the heels of the high demand for using the Emirati platform from Dubai citizens, especially following Digital Dubai’s addition of 16 new services as part of the platform’s second phase, which increased the number of available services to 170. The successful first phase, launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Higher Committee for Development and Citizens Affairs, as an initiative of the Higher Committee for Development and Citizen Affairs, is available as part of the DubaiNow app.

The Housing Grant Exchange service aims to regulate the exchange of grants in coordination with partner entities, provided the applicant has not previously exchanged land or housing from Dubai Municipality or the Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment. The service aims to preserve the legal rights of all parties involved, with the exchange of housing conducted directly by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment.

The project was implemented by a joint team formed of representatives of relevant departments and entities in Dubai. They were tasked with establishing laws and regulations that define the service, based on an examination of past cases, current status of grants and allocated lands, and indicators relevant to service implementation.  Subsequently, the team established a regulatory framework designed to govern matters related to eligibility, utilisation and service integration among relevant entities, as well as service provision via digital channels.

The newly launched service outlines a set of controls related to the exchange of land grants and housing units, ensuring the integrity and fairness of the exchange, the parties’ consent and the absence of any legal impediments or mortgages that prevent the exchange.