When is The Central Downtown handover date?
Short answer
The Central Downtown has a registered completion date of 31 March 2028, and AQUA Properties markets a Q2 2028 handover. The latest DLD inspection, on 21 April 2026, recorded 10.48% complete. At the 2024 launch completion was expected by 2026, and progress since May 2025 has averaged 0.57 percentage points a month, so the 2028 date depends on a much faster pace from here.
Registered completion date (DLD)
31 Mar 2028
DLD project register via Continental Club
Latest construction progress
10.48%
DLD inspection, 21 Apr 2026
Developer's stated date
Q2 2028
AQUA Properties via Continental Club and broker pages, accessed 11 Oct 2026
Expected at launch
2026
Propsearch, January 2024
The Central Downtown handover date: the latest position
The DLD project register gives The Central Downtown a registered completion date of 31 March 2028. AQUA Properties markets the handover as Q2 2028, which matches the register to within a quarter. Prices, sizes and payment plans are on The Central Downtown page.
The last DLD inspection, on 21 April 2026, recorded 10.48% complete. Continental Club calculates the pace over the past year at 0.57 percentage points a month and notes that, at that rate, 100% would not be reached until 2039. That is a straight line projection, not a forecast by the developer, but it shows how much faster work must move to meet March 2028.
The Central Downtown handover date by building
The project is DLD project 2861, registered as one project with 1,254 units. Propsearch lists four towers, A to D, of 31, 22, 28 and 27 storeys above a retail podium.
| Building | Construction progress (DLD, date) | Registered completion date | Developer or portal date |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Central Downtown, Towers A to D | 10.48%, 21 Apr 2026 | 31 Mar 2028 | Q2 2028 (AQUA via Continental Club; JRE); March 2028 (Propsearch) |
No tower by tower dates have been published. Registered sales are filed under tower names such as “The Central Downtown-A” and “The Central Downtown-C” (Propsearch), so the building is shown on each SPA even though the completion date is shared.
How The Central Downtown handover date has changed
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nov 2023 | Construction start registered | DLD register |
| 24 Nov 2023 | DLD inspection records 0% | DLD register |
| Jan 2024 | Launch set for early February 2024, completion expected by 2026 | Propsearch |
| Jun 2024 | AQUA reports more than 900 units sold in 100 days | Propsearch |
| 15 Nov 2024 | DLD inspection records 0.68% | DLD register |
| 22 May 2025 | DLD inspection records 4.22% | DLD register |
| 21 Apr 2026 | DLD inspection records 10.48% | DLD register |
| Oct 2026 | Registered completion 31 Mar 2028; marketed as Q2 2028 | Continental Club |
The expected date has moved from 2026 at launch to the first half of 2028. Progress between May 2025 and April 2026 added 6.26 points, the fastest stretch so far, but still about a tenth of the work in a year.
What The Central Downtown handover date means for payments
Most of the price is due at or after handover. On the studio and 1 bedroom plan, buyers pay 25% within eight months of booking and 75% on handover. On the 2 and 3 bedroom plan, 48% is due on handover and a further 24% is paid over the 24 months after it (Gold Pillars). On a studio at the registered median of AED 736,000, a 75% handover payment is about AED 552,000. A later handover pushes back that payment and, on the post-handover plan, the end of the instalments.
What to check before relying on The Central Downtown date
- The SPA date and grace period against 31 March 2028, and whether the SPA names the tower.
- Which payment plan applies. The handover share ranges from 48% to 75% depending on the plan.
- The next DLD inspection, the first since April 2026, to see whether the pace has picked up from 0.57 points a month.
Questions buyers also ask
When will The Central Downtown be completed?
The DLD register gives a registered completion date of 31 March 2028. AQUA Properties markets the handover as Q2 2028.
Is The Central Downtown delayed?
Against the launch expectation, yes. Propsearch recorded in January 2024 that completion was expected by 2026. The register now shows 31 March 2028. The registered date itself had not passed by October 2026.
How much of The Central Downtown is built?
10.48% at the DLD inspection of 21 April 2026, up from 4.22% on 22 May 2025 (DLD register via Continental Club).
Do all four Central Downtown towers hand over together?
The register holds one project with one completion date, 31 March 2028, for all units. No separate tower dates have been published.
