Wills

For non-Muslim expatriates in the UAE, dying without a registered will does not simply delay matters. It can determine who inherits, on principles you did not choose.

In the absence of a valid registered will, UAE courts may apply Sharia principles of succession to assets located in the UAE. Under those principles, distribution follows fixed shares among defined relatives — a surviving spouse does not automatically receive the whole estate, and children's entitlements are set by formula. Recent federal reforms have improved the position for non-Muslims and allow home-country law to be applied in some circumstances, but relying on that without documentation puts the outcome in the hands of a court process rather than your instructions.

The practical consequences arrive quickly. UAE bank accounts in the deceased's sole name are typically frozen pending resolution, including accounts a surviving spouse depends on for day-to-day costs. Jointly held accounts are not the reliable workaround people assume. Property, shares in UAE companies and vehicles all form part of the estate.

For parents the most pressing issue is guardianship. Without a registered appointment, custody of children in the UAE is decided by the court, and there may be a period before any decision in which no one holds clear authority.

Registration is what gives a will force here. The DIFC Wills Service is open to non-Muslims regardless of residence and covers UAE-wide assets and guardianship; Abu Dhabi operates its own non-Muslim register; and Sharia-compliant wills serve Muslim testators, for whom the fixed shares apply but much can still be clarified and documented.