Palace Villas Ostra by Emaar at The Oasis Dubai

Ostra villas come in Chamfer, Classic and Contemporary designs, and each style has its own set of floor plans. Chamfer offers the widest spread, with 4, 5 and 6 bedroom plans that include both the smallest 4 bedroom layout and the largest 6 bedroom layout in the collection. Classic is limited to 4 and 5 bedroom homes, with its 5 bedroom plan measuring 10,363 sq.ft. Contemporary also covers all 3 bedroom types, and its 5 bedroom plans run from 8,048 to 11,040 sq.ft. Buyers can choose a style first and then pick the bedroom count and size that suits their family within it.

Marèva is another Emaar villa project inside The Oasis, with the same bedroom choice and an almost identical entry size, which makes it the closest like-for-like alternative to Ostra. The main differences are price, scale, branding and timing. Ostra opens at a lower price, holds more villas and is due earlier, while Marèva is a smaller, unbranded enclave of 311 villas.

Ostra suits a fairly narrow group of buyers. The entry ticket, the wait until handover and the size of each villa decide who gets the most out of it. The table below sets out which buyer profiles fit well and which would be better served elsewhere, with the reason behind each call.

Buying at Ostra follows the Dubai Land Department's off-plan process, with Emaar handling the sale contract and registration. Every payment goes to the project's escrow account, never to a personal or broker account. Buyers living abroad can appoint a representative in Dubai through a notarised power of attorney that is attested for use in the UAE.

1. Choose the villa: confirm the plot, style and availability with a RERA-registered broker, and check the project on the Dubai REST app.
2. Complete the checks: share identity documents and proof of funds, which are required for high-value purchases.
3. Reserve the unit: sign Emaar's reservation form and pay the booking amount into the project escrow account.
4. Sign the SPA: the Sale and Purchase Agreement fixes the price, payment schedule, specifications and handover date.
5. Register on Oqood: Emaar records the sale on the interim register, and the buyer pays the 4% Dubai Land Department fee plus the Oqood admin fee.
6. Pay the instalments: each construction payment falls due as Emaar reaches set milestones, and progress can be tracked on Dubai REST.
7. Complete handover: inspect the villa, clear the final payment and collect the keys, after which the title deed is issued in the buyer's name.

The paperwork changes at each stage of the purchase. Non-resident buyers need a valid passport, while UAE residents also present their Emirates ID. The table below lists what is needed at each step, from reservation through to moving in.

Handover begins when Emaar issues a completion notice to the buyer and the Dubai Land Department, after the project receives its completion certificate. Buyers typically have 30 days from that notice to inspect the villa, list any defects, settle the final payment and complete handover. The Oqood record is then converted into a title deed in the buyer's name.