Q: Dear questioner, My father (Muslim) has passed away in South Africa. He leaves behind 4 children, his wife (our mother) and his own mother. He had a will for South Africa in which, I (oldest son) am executor. The will does state that it encompasses all property and assets wherever they may be. He has various properties and assets in the UAE. My questions are: 1. Does his will have power in the UAE or will it be divided by Sharia? 2. What documents are required to wind up his estate? 3. What is the wind-up process within the UAE?

Q: Hello, I’m a Pakistani national. My father had an apartment in Dubai and he’s no more with us. I want details regarding legal documents which I need from Pakistan to initiate a case to transfer that apartment by inheritance law in Dubai.

Q: Good day, My friend now is facing some difficulties to get part of a property located in Dubai. She is a citizen of a Central Asian country and her husband is a citizen of Yemen. They got married in a registry office in Dubai. He had died some time ago and there is no will left. He used to have 2 more wives and children from these wives. My friend (his 3rd wife) wants to get some part of the property located in Dubai. Her husband used to have a residence in the UAE as an investor. Can you please assist whether she can claim for the part of this property (both of them are not citizens of the UAE)? If yes, is it possible to explain in brief the procedure? If no, can she obtain a decision from the Court from her country of residence on the division of the property located in Dubai and later enforce this decision in Dubai? Then will the court of Dubai recognize and enforce this decision of the Civil Court of the foreign country? Thanks

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, If a foreigner has not drafted a will before death in the UAE, the law of the state of nationality will apply to the inheritance of the deceased's estate. How do judges become aware of the laws of other countries?

The article states the currently available options on how to set up a Will in the UAE. The expatriate (non-Muslim) testator has several options on how to protect the assets in the UAE and how to appoint guardians for the minor child(ren) habitually residing in the Emirates.

Do you have assets in the UAE? Have you made a will yet? It is highly recommended to register a will soon, otherwise, the drive to asset disbursement can be extensive and expensive. In addition to the option of registering a will in DIFC for Non-Muslim will registration, Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) had also introduced a separate office since August 2017, which has made the entire will registration process easier and cost-effective.

UAE Personal Status Law (also known as Personal Affairs Law) governs marriage, divorce, inheritance and other personal affairs in the United Arab Emirates. The law equally applies to citizens of the UAE and non-citizens unless one of them asks for the application of his home country law.