A lot of the banks got a huge fright when the property bubble deflated so mortgages are now not easy to come by. Not all lenders will lend on all developments. Indeed there are some developments which nobody will lend on.
Deposits are large-typically 25 or 30% of the bank's valuation, which in itself is likely to be 10% or more below the market value of the property. The banks are covering themselves in case prices fall any more.
Interest rates are also much higher than you are used to in Europe. 7% to 9% is typical. Some (but not all) mortgages are Sharia compliant rather than the traditional repayment type you are used to back home. I'm willing to bet nobody on this website really truly understands how they work.
Repayment penalties tend to be larger than you may be used to, possibly up to 5% although 2 or 3% is more common. That is sometimes for the lifetime of the mortgage, not just the first couple of years. "Hidden" fees for arrangement, property registration and other things tend to pop up out of nowhere.
With all that doom and gloom out of the way, I took out a new mortgage about 12 months ago and am reasonably happy with the deal I got so it can be done but it is a lot of work. The utilities allowance covers my monthly repayments as well as my electricity and water bills, but I did have to put down a 35% deposit. If I stay at Emirates 20 years(!) the company will have effectively bought me an apartment. Has to be a better bet than the provident fund!