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Power of Attorney in Dubai

A power of attorney only does what it says. Draft it too narrowly and the bank refuses it; too broadly and you have handed someone more authority than you meant to.

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Bilingual Arabic and English

Notary Booked Dubai Courts or private notary

Valid Abroad Attested where needed

How do you make a power of attorney in Dubai?

A power of attorney in Dubai must be drafted in Arabic, or bilingually with an Arabic text, and notarised before the Dubai Courts Notary Public or a licensed private notary. Both the grantor's identity and the specific powers granted are recorded. A POA made abroad needs attestation and legal translation before it can be used here.

Power of Attorney in Dubai at a glance
Where it is notarised	Dubai Courts Notary Public, or a licensed private notary
Language	Arabic, or bilingual with Arabic governing
Common types	Property, company management, court representation, banking, vehicle, general
Grantor attendance	In person, with original Emirates ID and passport
If signed abroad	Attestation chain plus MoJ-licensed Arabic translation
What MSM handles	Drafting, translation, notary appointment, attestation for overseas use

Last updated 2 August 2026 · Reviewed by Fatima Rahman, Attestation & Legal Translation Lead. Fees and timelines are set by the issuing authority and change without notice — confirm current figures before you budget.

What can a power of attorney be used for?

Selling or buying property, managing a company, representing you in court, operating a bank account, transferring a vehicle, or handling a specific one-off transaction while you are out of the country.

Each of those is a different document in practice. A property POA that does not name the property, or a company POA that does not name the powers, will be questioned by whoever is asked to rely on it.

Property: sale, purchase, mortgage, registration — usually property-specific
Company: signing, licensing, government transactions, banking
Court: representation in a named case or in general litigation
General: broad authority, and correspondingly harder to get accepted

Bilingual Arabic and English legal document being signed at a notary desk in Dubai

How specific does the wording need to be?

More specific than most people draft it. UAE practice reads a power of attorney literally: an attorney can do what the document says and nothing beyond it. A land department, a bank or a court will each look for their own transaction to be named.

The failure mode is not usually fraud. It is a client returning from the land department because the POA authorises "management of property" and not "sale of property".

Name the transaction, not just the subject matter
Name the property, the company or the account where relevant
State whether the attorney may delegate to a third party
Include a validity period if you want one; without it, revocation is the only limit

Lawyer pointing to a specific clause in a power of attorney document

What if you are outside the UAE?

You sign abroad, and the document then travels the consular chain: a notary in that country, that country's foreign ministry, the UAE embassy or consulate there, then MOFAIC here. After that it needs a legal translation into Arabic by a translator licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice.

It works, and it takes considerably longer than walking into a Dubai notary. Where a trip is planned, doing it here is faster and cheaper.

Signed and notarised in the country where you are
Attested through that country's foreign ministry and the UAE embassy there
MOFAIC attestation on arrival in the UAE
MoJ-licensed Arabic translation before use

Client signing documents abroad for use in the UAE with a passport on the table

How do you cancel a power of attorney?

By notarised revocation, and by notifying the parties who might rely on it. Telling the attorney privately does not undo the document, because a bank or land department relying on the notarised original has no way to know.

Revoke formally, and tell anyone holding a copy.

Revocation is notarised, like the original
Notify banks, the land department and anyone holding a copy
Recover the original where you can
A validity period in the original avoids the problem in the first place

Notary stamp being applied to a revocation document in Dubai

How MSM prepares a power of attorney

Scope the powersWe ask what the attorney actually needs to do, then draft to that. This is where a POA is made usable or useless.
Draft bilinguallyArabic and English, with the Arabic drafted rather than machine-translated from the English.
Book the notaryDubai Courts Notary Public or a licensed private notary, with the appointment arranged around you.
Attend and signThe grantor attends with original Emirates ID and passport. The notary records identity and the powers granted.
Attest for overseas useWhere the POA will be used outside the UAE, MOFAIC attestation and destination embassy legalisation follow.

Which power of attorney do you need?

Getting the type right at the drafting stage saves a second notary visit.
Type	Typical use	Drafting note
Property POA	Sell, buy or mortgage a named property	Name the property and the transaction explicitly
Company POA	Manage a licence, sign, deal with government bodies	List the authorities and the acts permitted
Court POA	Represent you in litigation	Often must name the case or the court
Banking POA	Operate an account	Banks usually require their own additional form
Vehicle POA	Sell or transfer a vehicle	Name the vehicle and the registration
General POA	Broad authority while you are away	Widely drafted, and correspondingly often questioned

The mistake we see most: A general power of attorney drafted without naming the specific transaction, presented at the land department, and refused. The client believed a general POA covered everything precisely because it was general. In UAE practice, the broader the wording, the more likely a body relying on it will ask for a specific one instead.

MSM tip: Put an expiry date in the power of attorney. Most people never revoke the ones they grant, and an unrevoked general POA sitting with a former business partner is a risk that costs nothing to avoid at drafting.

What documents do you need?

What you need to notarise a POA in Dubai

Grantor's original Emirates ID and passport

Attorney's passport copy and Emirates ID copy

Title deed, for a property power of attorney

Trade licence and memorandum, for a company power of attorney

Vehicle registration card, for a vehicle power of attorney

Case number or court details, for litigation

A clear statement of the powers to be granted

The attorney does not usually need to attend the notary; the grantor does. If the grantor cannot attend in person and is outside the UAE, the document is signed abroad and travels the consular chain instead.

Certified Legal Translation

Ministry of Justice licensed Arabic translation for court and official use.

MOFA Attestation

The MOFAIC stamp for a POA that will be used abroad.

Legal Typing

Court forms, memos and legal documents typed in the required format.

Sources

Justice, safety and the lawThe UAE Government Portal
Ministry of JusticeUAE Government
Doing business in the UAEThe UAE Government Portal
Ministry of Foreign AffairsUAE Government

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a power of attorney have to be in Arabic in Dubai?

Yes. It must be in Arabic, or bilingual with an Arabic text, because the Arabic version is what the notary registers and what governs. An English-only document is not accepted for notarisation.

Can I make a power of attorney from outside the UAE?

Yes. Sign and notarise it where you are, then have it attested by that country's foreign ministry and the UAE embassy there, followed by MOFAIC attestation here and a Ministry of Justice licensed Arabic translation.

Does the attorney need to attend the notary?

Usually not. The grantor attends in person with original identification. The attorney's passport and Emirates ID copies are enough for the document to name them.

How long is a power of attorney valid in Dubai?

For as long as it says, or until it is revoked. If no period is stated, it continues indefinitely, which is why we recommend including an expiry date at drafting.

How do I cancel a power of attorney?

By notarised revocation, and by notifying anyone who might rely on it, such as a bank or the land department. Telling the attorney privately does not undo the notarised document.

Will a general POA cover a property sale?

Often not in practice. UAE bodies read powers of attorney literally and commonly require the specific transaction and the specific property to be named. Draft for the transaction you actually need.

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Draft a Power of Attorney

The one question that matters is what the attorney actually needs to do. Answer that and the drafting is straightforward.

Hotline: +971 52 933 0454

Email: info@msmdoc.com

Office: Deira, Dubai — serving all seven emirates.