Home / Cases / The First Group / Grand Millennium, Business Bay / Account 001
Documented Account: Off-Plan Unit, Refund Dispute
Quick Facts
| Project | Grand Millennium, Business Bay (formerly The One Hotel, DLD Project No. 1864) |
|---|---|
| SPA Date | 26 June 2017 |
| Contract Price | AED 1,495,000 |
| Total Paid | AED 966,744 (approximately 64% of contract price) |
| Contracted Delivery | 30 June 2019 (maximum extended deadline per SPA Clause 7.2: 31 December 2019) |
| Actual Delivery | Building certificate issued October 2020. Hotel operational 2025 as Grand Millennium, Business Bay. |
| Refund Disbursed | Not confirmed as of September 2026 |
Nature of Complaint
The investor alleges that The First Group failed to deliver the property within the contracted timeframe, applied late payment charges exceeding AED 122,000 during the period of delayed delivery, and failed to provide advance notice before DLD deregistration of the unit in 2024. TFG issued two DLD default notifications, in 2020 and 2024, both claiming the project was 100% complete at a time when the hotel was not yet operational. A refund of AED 368,744 is recorded at the DLD. As of September 2026, it has not been disbursed.
What Happened
The investor reports that the purchase originated from a sales approach at Dubai International Airport, where The First Group operated a kiosk offering transfers and incentives to attend a sales presentation. The investor attended, viewed properties, and signed a Sale and Purchase Agreement on 26 June 2017 for a unit at a contract price of AED 1,495,000. An initial payment of approximately 30% secured an interim title deed. Further instalments followed, with total payments reaching AED 966,744.
The SPA states a contracted delivery date of 30 June 2019 under Clause 7.1, with a maximum extension to 31 December 2019 under Clause 7.2. In WhatsApp correspondence in November 2021, a TFG representative acknowledged a discrepancy between the June 2019 date in the signed SPA and a later date in TFG's internal documents, describing it as a mutual mistake. The investor notes that the contract was drafted by The First Group.
An independent RERA inspection on 17 December 2019, the date of the maximum contracted deadline, confirmed construction was still in progress. The building completion certificate was issued in October 2020, nine months beyond the maximum deadline. Despite this, TFG issued a DLD default notification in December 2020 claiming the project was 100% complete and demanding AED 376,102. A second notification in April 2024 made the same 100% complete claim and demanded AED 498,629, an increase of AED 122,527 composed entirely of late payment charges accumulated during the period of delayed delivery. The hotel did not become operational until 2025.
When TFG proceeded with deregistration of the unit at DLD in June 2024, the investor reports receiving no advance notification. The investor had previously submitted a written termination request. A refund of AED 368,744 is recorded at the DLD. As of September 2026, this amount has not been disbursed and no payment timeline has been confirmed by TFG.
Key Documents
- Sale and Purchase Agreement dated 26 June 2017
- Payment receipts, multiple instalments (2017 onwards)
- Interim title deed issued following initial payment
- DLD registration and deregistration records
- RERA independent inspection reports (six reports, January 2019 to October 2020)
- DLD Default Notification 8611/2020 dated 14 December 2020
- DLD Default Notification 1653/2024 dated April 2024
- WhatsApp correspondence with TFG representative (November 2021 to August 2022)
- Written termination request submitted to The First Group
- TFG email correspondence (2020 onwards)
- DLD refund record (AED 368,744)
- Marketing materials presented at sales presentation (return projections, to be confirmed)
Documents are held on file. Copies will be published on the documents sub-page subject to redaction of personally identifying information.
Timeline
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 26 June 2017 | Sale and Purchase Agreement signed. Contract price AED 1,495,000. Initial payment of approximately 30% made. | SPA |
| 30 June 2019 | Contracted delivery date per SPA Clause 7.1 passes. Property not delivered. | SPA Clause 7.1 |
| 17 December 2019 | Independent RERA inspection confirms construction still in progress on the date of the maximum contracted deadline. | RERA inspection report |
| October 2020 | Building completion certificate issued, nine months beyond maximum contracted deadline. | Building completion certificate |
| 14 December 2020 | TFG issues DLD Default Notification 8611/2020 claiming 100% completion and demanding AED 376,102. Hotel not yet open. | DLD Default Notification 8611/2020 |
| 19 November 2021 | WhatsApp correspondence: TFG representative acknowledges contract date discrepancy, describes it as a mutual mistake. Confirms hotel not yet operational. Declines refund and discourages legal action. | WhatsApp correspondence |
| April 2024 | TFG issues DLD Default Notification 1653/2024 claiming 100% completion and demanding AED 498,629, AED 122,527 higher than 2020 demand due to accumulated late payment charges. | DLD Default Notification 1653/2024 |
| June 2024 | Unit deregistered by DLD. Investor reports no advance notification received. Refund of AED 368,744 recorded at DLD. Not disbursed as of September 2026. | DLD record |
Court or Legal Action
No court action has been filed in connection with this account as of September 2026. For reference, a Dubai Courts judgment in Case 559/2025 (SVM-14964/2026) dated 4 March 2026, involving a separate TFG property, established that a building completion certificate alone does not constitute delivery of a hotel unit. Hotel delivery requires a completion certificate, hotel classification certificate, operating license, and a no-objection certificate for receiving guests. See Court Outcomes for full details.
Right of Reply
The First Group has been invited to respond to the account documented on this page. As of September 2026, no response has been received. Any response submitted will be published in full and without editorial amendment.