How to Prepare and Register a Will in the UAE: A Practical Guide

If you live in the UAE and own property, have savings or investments here, or have children, a will is one of the few documents that decides what happens to them on your terms. Without one, your estate is distributed under the default rules that apply to you, which may not match what you would have chosen, and your family may face delays and frozen accounts while matters are settled.

This guide explains the main points to understand before you start. It is general information; the right route depends on your nationality, religion, assets and emirate.

Why a will matters here

• Default rules may not match your wishes. Who inherits, and in what shares, depends on the law that applies to you. A will lets you set your own arrangements within the limits the law allows.
• Assets can be frozen. Bank accounts and property can be inaccessible to your family until the estate is settled. A clear, registered will can make that process more straightforward.
• Minor children. A will is where you record your wishes for the care of minor children, so they are known and considered.

The main registration routes

Which route applies depends on who you are and where your assets are:

• Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD): non-Muslims can register a civil will with the courts in Abu Dhabi.
• DIFC Courts Wills Service: a registration route that many non-Muslim residents use, particularly for assets in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah.
• Notary and local courts in each emirate: the other emirates have their own procedures for registering or notarising wills.

A will made abroad may not be recognised or enforced in the UAE in the way you expect. A UAE-registered will for UAE assets is usually the safer approach.

What to gather before drafting

You will make the first meeting far more useful if you bring:

1. Your family details: marital status, children (and whether any are minors).
2. A list of assets in the UAE: property, bank accounts, investments, company shares, vehicles, insurance.
3. Your beneficiaries: who should receive what, and who should benefit if a beneficiary dies before you.
4. Any existing will, in the UAE or abroad.
5. Liabilities: mortgages or other debts connected to the assets.

Common mistakes

• Using a generic template. A will that does not fit your family and assets can be ambiguous or partly unenforceable.
• Forgetting alternate beneficiaries. If a beneficiary dies before you, the gift may fall back to the default rules.
• Ignoring jointly owned or mortgaged property. These need specific drafting.
• Never updating it. Marriage, divorce, children and new assets are all reasons to review a will.

Next step

Every case is different, and a will is only as useful as its drafting. Our UAE will drafting service starts with an assessment of your circumstances before anything is drafted.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Laws and procedures change and differ between emirates and between the mainland and free zones; take advice on your own circumstances before acting.