Some leading Dubai brokerages are charging buyers for in-house conveyancing or sales-progression services while also holding the sales mandate for the property being purchased.

The practice raises a broader question about how transaction roles should be structured: when a brokerage represents the seller and also provides the service responsible for progressing the buyer’s purchase, should the buyer be required to pay for that service?

The arrangement is visible across brokerage websites, while LinkedIn and Instagram profiles show sales-progression and conveyancing teams operating within some agencies.

The issue is not necessarily the competence of an in-house conveyancer. The more fundamental question is one of independence. A buyer paying for a transfer service may reasonably expect that the person handling the transaction is able to act without commercial considerations connected to the other side.

Consider a seller who has multiple properties listed with the same brokerage, or one who is selling a current home while planning to purchase another property through the same agency. In such cases, the brokerage may have a broader commercial relationship with the seller than with a buyer completing a single transaction.

That distinction can become important when a seller-side issue delays or complicates a transfer. The person responsible for resolving the bottleneck should be able to communicate the problem to the buyer clearly and objectively, without having to balance that responsibility against a wider commercial relationship.

There are parallels in other parts of the financial and property sectors. Banks, for example, commonly appoint independent valuers rather than relying on a valuation conducted by a party whose commercial interests are directly tied to the transaction. The separation of roles is intended to reduce potential conflicts and strengthen confidence in the process.

“The real test of a transfer service comes when the interests on each side stop aligning,” said Jan Baluyut, Director, Property Affairs at Cendale, which operates Conveyance.ae. “An independent transfer provider has no sales mandate to protect, no listing relationship to preserve and no sales commission dependent on completion. That is the procedural oversight buyers pay for.”

Functional separation is also well established internationally. In the UK, buyers and sellers commonly instruct separate solicitors, while in the US, attorneys, title companies and escrow providers can perform distinct roles depending on the state. Dubai does not need to replicate either system, but both demonstrate that transaction roles can be separated to provide greater clarity around responsibilities.

The question is relevant across both ready properties and secondary off-plan transactions. While the mechanics of each transaction can differ, the buyer’s need for accurate information, clear communication and independent oversight remains the same.

Where a brokerage offers an in-house conveyancing or sales-progression service, buyers should be clearly informed about the arrangement, including whether the service is optional and whether they are free to appoint an independent provider.

As Dubai’s property market continues to expand and attract investors from around the world, greater transparency around who represents whom — and who is paying whom — could become an increasingly important part of a mature transaction process.

Chief Minister of Odisha Mohan Charan Majhi arrived in Abu Dhabi last night, marking the start of the State’s high-level investment outreach to the United Arab Emirates.The visit, with key business and investor engagements scheduled from September 9 to 11, is aimed at deepening Odisha’s economic engagement with the UAE and building long-term partnerships across investment, manufacturing, infrastructure, energy and emerging industries.

The Chief Minister is leading a high-level delegation comprising Hon’ble Minister for Industries Shri Sampad Chandra Swain, Chief Secretary Smt. Anu Garg, and senior officials from the Industries Department and IPICOL.

The delegation was received in Abu Dhabi by Additional Chief Secretary, Industries, Shri Hemant Sharma, along with UAE-based officials and representatives. Representatives of the Embassy of India in the UAE also welcomed the Chief Minister and the delegation.

Soon after his arrival, Shri Majhi reviewed preparations for the high-level business and investor engagements planned during the Abu Dhabi leg of the visit. He took stock of arrangements for meetings with UAE-based investors, institutions and business leaders, stressing the need for focused discussions that can translate into concrete partnerships and investment opportunities for Odisha.

During the day, the Chief Minister also met the Ambassador of India to the UAE and discussed the strengthening of India-UAE relations and the growing opportunities for deeper economic and people-to-people ties.

The Chief Minister highlighted the important role played by the Odia community living and working in the UAE, describing them as a valuable bridge between Odisha and the region. He emphasised the importance of continued support, facilitation and ease of living for Odias residing in the UAE, while recognising their contribution to strengthening links between the two economies.

The Abu Dhabi programme will bring the Odisha delegation into direct engagement with leading UAE institutions, investors and business groups. The discussions are expected to focus on identifying specific opportunities for investment, industrial partnerships, technology collaboration and long-term business participation in Odisha.

The outreach comes at a significant phase in Odisha’s industrial transformation. During the visit, the Chief Minister will showcase the State’s strengths, including its natural resources, robust industrial base, growing infrastructure, port connectivity, competitive power availability, skilled workforce and strategic access to large domestic and international markets.

Speaking ahead of the upcoming investor engagements, Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi said,“Odisha has entered a new phase of industrial growth, and our engagement with the UAE is an important part of this journey. We are coming here not only to invite investment, but to build long-term partnerships based on trust, technology, value creation and employment. The UAE is an important global economic partner, and we look forward to strengthening the Odisha-UAE relationship through concrete investment and industrial opportunities.”

The Chief Minister said the State Government’s focus is on converting investor interest into projects on the ground, creating employment and further strengthening Odisha’s position as a competitive destination for global businesses.

The first full day of Odisha’s UAE investment outreach will begin tomorrow in Abu Dhabi with a series of high-level engagements involving leading UAE institutions, investors and business leaders.

The programme on September 9 will include interactions with International Holding Company (IHC) and its business verticals, the Indian Business and Professional Group (IBPG), the UAE Minister of Investment and other senior investment stakeholders. The day will also include a focused engagement on opportunities in the petrochemicals and chemicals sector.

The meetings will provide a platform to discuss specific investment opportunities, industrial partnerships, technology collaboration and new avenues for strengthening Odisha-UAE economic ties.

Through the outreach, the Government of Odisha is seeking to build a sustained economic partnership with the UAE and the wider MENA region, with a focus on translating investor interest into tangible outcomes for industrial growth, employment generation and long-term economic value for the State.

With a packed schedule of high-level business and institutional engagements beginning September 9, Odisha will look to deepen existing partnerships while exploring fresh opportunities in investment, technology, trade and industrial collaboration with the UAE.

Dubai is changing the way some passengers pass through immigration, with a new mobile system that allows officers to process travellers without requiring them to approach a traditional immigration counter.

Called Click & Travel, the service uses handheld devices equipped with biometric verification, facial recognition and electronic passport-reading technology. GDRFA Dubai officially launched it on 7 September after testing it on more than 31,000 passengers.

The move raises an obvious question: if immigration officers can now move around the terminal with the technology needed to clear passengers, how much will the traditional passport-control process actually change?

And what does Click & Travel mean for travellers who are already familiar with Dubai’s smart gates?

Here is how the new system works.

What is Click & Travel?

Click & Travel is a mobile passport-control service that allows immigration officers to complete passengers’ arrival and departure procedures using handheld devices.

Rather than every traveller having to approach a fixed immigration counter, officers can take the device to the passenger and carry out the necessary checks there.

The system is connected securely to official databases, giving officers access to the information needed to verify a traveller and complete the immigration process.

It is designed to work alongside Dubai’s existing immigration infrastructure, rather than replace it.

How does it work?

The handheld system brings several parts of the immigration process together.

It can read electronic passports, verify biometric information and use facial recognition. Automated checks are also carried out as part of the process.

Once the passenger’s details have been verified, the officer can complete the relevant immigration procedure through the device.

The key difference is that the technology is no longer tied to a fixed desk.

How fast is it?

GDRFA Dubai says a Click & Travel transaction takes around 12 to 15 seconds.

During the trial period, the system processed 31,373 passengers, allowing authorities to assess how it performed in real airport conditions before its official launch.

Who can use Click & Travel?

The service is available to:

• UAE nationals
• UAE residents
• GCC nationals
• Visitors

It can be used for both arrivals and departures at Dubai’s airports.

Does it mean immigration counters are going away?

No.

Click & Travel is an additional way of processing passengers, rather than a wholesale replacement for conventional immigration counters.

The system gives airport staff more flexibility over where immigration procedures take place.

That could be useful during busy periods, when passenger flows need to be adjusted, or when certain travellers would benefit from being processed where they are rather than having to move to a fixed counter.

What about Dubai’s smart gates?

Click & Travel does not replace the smart gates.

Dubai International Airport already uses automated passport-control systems that allow eligible passengers to complete immigration with minimal interaction with an officer.

The new service works differently.

With a smart gate, the passenger goes to the technology.

With Click & Travel, the technology can go to the passenger.

That distinction is at the heart of the new system.

Why is Dubai introducing it?

For airport authorities, flexibility is one of the main attractions.

Passenger numbers can fluctuate considerably during the day, and airports need to be able to respond when particular areas become crowded.

A fixed immigration counter cannot easily be moved. A handheld device can.

The system therefore gives immigration teams another way to manage passenger flows and potentially reduce the time travellers spend waiting at fixed points.

Can children and People of Determination use it?

Yes.

The mobile nature of the system could be particularly useful for passengers who need additional assistance.

Children and People of Determination can be processed without necessarily having to approach a conventional immigration counter, with the officer able to bring the device to them.

When was it first tested?

Click & Travel has been in development for almost a year.

The first trial began in October 2025 at Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport, initially focusing on families.

A second phase began in May 2026, expanding the trial across Dubai’s airport terminals and to different categories of travellers.

Following the trial, GDRFA Dubai officially launched the service on 7 September 2026.

What does it mean for passengers?

For travellers, there is no new app to download or separate procedure they need to learn.

The change is largely behind the scenes.

Passengers may still use smart gates or traditional immigration counters, depending on their circumstances. But where Click & Travel is used, an immigration officer can complete the process away from a fixed desk.

The broader aim is to make the journey through immigration quicker and more adaptable, particularly when airports are dealing with heavy passenger traffic or travellers who require additional assistance.

Could this change the way airport immigration works?

Click & Travel is part of a wider shift towards technology-based immigration at Dubai’s airports.

Smart gates have already reduced the need for some face-to-face passport checks. Biometric technology has made identity verification increasingly automated.

Click & Travel adds another possibility: keeping the immigration officer, rather than the passenger, mobile.

For now, it is another option within Dubai’s passport-control system.

But its introduction suggests that the future of airport immigration may not be defined by how many counters an airport has — but by how easily the technology can move to wherever passengers need it.