MAG PDD Invites Buyers to Viewings, Offers Clarification on Question of Visas

MAG PDD has made the latest issue (7-Jun-06) of Dubai's Property Weekly with its invitation to purchasers to view show apartments in the MAG 214 tower in Jumeirah Lake Towers district. Although the tower is not due for completion until early or mid-2007, the display units are reportedly to have been open since last month.

The intention of MAG PDD is to "guarantee and give peace of mind to buyers." Although certainly useful for 214 buyers, MAG 218 buyers may also benefit by getting an indication of the quality of work MAG PDD is capable of and also seeing how close the product is to what is promised.

Those interested in viewing should contact the developer: p.a@magpd.com, 04-335-3301.

On Visas for Residency

MAG PDD General Manager, Mohammed Nimer, is also quoted in the article to say,

Everybody thinks that buying a house will guarantee a visa. This is unfortunate. We do not provide visas as according to law the buyer has to apply for it. People misquote the law. We tell all facts to our customers and (it) is also in our contract.

What in fact does the MAG 218 contract say in this regard:

The Vendor agrees to assist the Purchaser to approach the Master Developer for the Master Developer to sponsor the Purchaser of the Unit for a Visa (provided the Purchaser is not otherwise entitled to sponsorship for a Visa)... The Vendor does not guarantee the issuance of any Visa and shall not be liable towards the Purchaser if any Visa is not granted at any time or fo any reason whatsoever.

That appears to be clear enough--except for the otherwise entitled to sponsorship bit. The point is being made in regard to the impression given by some developers and agents that freehold purchases result automatically in the issuance of residency visas. This is not at all the case, with the otherwise entitled to sponsorship clause likely being the biggest caveat.

In some sense the residency visa appears to be a fallback option for those who might otherwise find themselves with a home in which they can't reside due to being of retiree age and unable to get a work visa or perhaps for having some disability. However, in one incident reported by a participant in an International City online forum, an elderly couple were denied visas on the bases of poor health. The ailment in question was high-cholesterol level.

The bottom line is that the issuance of any visas is in the hands of perhaps sometimes unsympathetic government officials. That being said, the government of Dubai is probably well aware that word of unfair treatment with regard to visa applications could adversely affect its efforts to sell Dubai Inc.


A long way to go. Excavation and piling work as of 08-Jun-06.

See also MAG Makes a Statement with Its Threesome.

Return to MAG 218 Community homepage.