Q: Can I create documents such as Power of Attorney in English? Is bilingual mandatory? A: Any official document that is issued or stamped by a local authority in the UAE must be either in Arabic or in a bilingual manner where the Arabic one will prevail in case of any contradiction…

Dear questioner, Please be informed that any official document that is issued or stamped by a local authority in the UAE must be either in Arabic or in a bilingual manner where the Arabic one will prevail in case of any contradiction. This is the case anywhere in the world and not just a UAE regulation. So, answering your question, you can create the power of attorney only in English in one condition. If it is issued outside the UAE and attested by the notary public in that country, the UAE embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE. However, if you are submitting such a document inside the UAE, you must pass it through legal translation stage before you are able to use it. Best regards, Ahmed Elnaggar

The official language of the UAE legal documents

Questions & Answers

Questions & Answers

10 available 10 • View all

Signing the Arabic statement of police interrogations

Q: I've read that at the end of police interrogations in the UAE, they print a document written in Arabic and they want you to sign it. Is it true? Can you refuse to sign it? If you don't understand Arabic, can you say that you won't sign because you don't know what is written in it? I've read many cases of people signing that document and getting into real trouble afterwards because what was written in it wasn't exactly what they were expecting.

Sep 25, 2018

1619

Dealing with a court letter for a bounced rental cheque

Q: Dear Attorney Ahmed, Today I have received an Arabic letter from Dubai Courts and this is in connection with my bounced cheque two weeks ago. I am residing in this real estate for 13 years and I used to pay one cheque in regards of payment, but I can say that in 12 years of making payments with them, this month only is delayed because of our salary delay. Please advise what would be my case against this letter in Arabic from Dubai Courts.

Apr 30, 2018

1146

Employer's request to sign a clearance letter for unpaid dues upon termination

Q: I was a Project Manager for a company. After 9 years of my service, the company has terminated my services for the last 45 days (Because work is less & they want to downsize the staff strength). I don't mind going back to my country, but they are expecting me to sign an Arabic letter stating that all my dues are paid, for the closure of my visa which is getting over on 07.10.2017. Since the financial condition of the company is not good, they are not in a position to settle my gratuity & other benefits. They are not giving any clear-cut date on which they will settle my dues. My worry is that once I sign the Arabic letter & my visa is cancelled, I cannot continue in the UAE beyond 28 days after visa cancellation. I don't want to go against the company to pursue legal step, but at the same time, I am worried about my dues that I may be denied once I sign the Arabic letter & I am out of the UAE. Please advise what I have to do?

Sep 19, 2017

10703

Translation of bank statements into Arabic before filing a case

Q: Rajasree hello! We want to file a case against X related to a bank issue in Ajman. We are submitting the relevant proof/documents like memorandum, emails...etc. They will be translated into Arabic, legal translation. The case also involves bank statements that show that we paid as proof. My question: Do we need to do the legal translation of all 24 pages of bank statements in Arabic? They are given by the bank in English and exported as PDF from the bank account (electronic) and has all the details, bank logo, etc... Please clarify. Shukran

Oct 10, 2018

1680

Designation in the company and granting a POA

Q: The question is connected with an LLC company from Dubai. I am the only employee. I am not sure if I can use Director titles for people not listed on the company organization chart (not employed). I need to sign an agreement with 2 signatories on our side. The second signatory is a contractor from abroad (contracted through a Polish/European entity). Can I give him a Power Of Attorney, so based on Dubai law - can he sign documents on behalf of the LLC? Which title can we use for him as a person which has a Power of Attorney from LLC or me: Managing Director OR Account Manager? Can we create a power of attorney only in English? Is it mandatory to use Arabic?

Oct 11, 2018

3886

Power of Attorney drafting and attestation fees in the UAE

Q: What is the standard price range for drafting a Power of Attorney?

Jan 3, 2019

4236

Liability for delaying the attestation of documents

Q: One of my customers has submitted a document to me for legalization from the USA before 5 months which we have submitted to one of our vendors in Washington, USA. But after feeding me lots of false information, my vendor has returned the document back to me saying it cannot be attested. My customer is going with legal action for the loss she faced for the document delay.

Oct 25, 2021

238

Will the contracts drafted in English be admissible in the courts of the UAE?

Q: Hello, Will the contracts drafted in English be admissible in the courts of the UAE? Or one must only draft a contract in Arabic?

Jun 10, 2022

781

Are there any mandatory languages to be used in a commercial contract?

Q: Are there any mandatory languages to be used in a commercial contract between a Dubai LLC and another private company from the UAE? Or can it be written fully in English only?

Oct 21, 2022

192

How can I inform authorities I signed a police statement I didn't understand?

Q: Good Day, As someone unfamiliar with local laws and a non-Arabic speaker, the police took my statement but did not provide a translation and told me to sign. I have no idea what they wrote or presented in the case. The case is now with the Public Prosecution. What should I do to ensure the authorities are aware of this?

Sep 5, 2024

Legal blog

1 available 1 • View all

Online POA and Other Notary Public Services in the UAE

With the introduction of the new procedures for obtaining a power of attorney (POA) remotely in the UAE, after it was mandatory to appear in person in front of the notary public as a global rule to ensure the identity and intention of the person requesting a POA, we put between your hands this brief guide for how you get it done.

Jun 8, 2021

19168

Premium

Ahmed Elnaggar

Other answers by

342 342 answers •

View all

How can I vacate my tenant if the rental agreement ends before the eviction notice deadline?

My Dubai tenant's rental agreement is ending by the end of September 2024 and the completion of 12 months of legally served Eviction Notice is the end of December 2024. I have two questions: (a) Can I send a rent increase notice 3 months before as the rent has increased as per the RERA rent calculator? (b) The second question is, do I have to renew the rental agreement for 3 months (until December 2024) or not? Thank you.

May 1, 2024

268

How can I reach a settlement with the bank for a mortgage of a jointly owned property?

I have a jointly owned property in Abu Dhabi. The mortgage was defaulted on as I had to leave the property with my children following an assault by my ex-husband. He left the country in 2018 and never paid the mortgage. As I was in the country, the bank filed a criminal case against me, and I was sentenced to 3 years. I won the appeal against the bank and then filed another criminal case a few months later in Dubai. Again, I won and paid a fine. In 2019, the bank started a civil case against me and my ex-husband to have the property repossessed. However, at the time of the purchase of the property, there were no Title Deeds, the bank requires this. I cannot give them the Title Deeds to sell the property and pay back the amount owed to them as my ex-husband refuses to provide a POA. The bank has filed another criminal case against me only for our jointly owned property. I wish to resolve this and pay off the bank and receive any money left from the sale. How can I resolve this issue of the Title Deeds?

Oct 4, 2022

282

The procedures for filing for divorce on mutual consent

Dear sir/madam, I am separated from my wife due to compatibility reasons. We got married in the Indian consulate in Dubai on December, 23rd. We would like to file a divorce on mutual consent as soon as possible. May I get some advice here on the procedures?

Sep 13, 2022

674

My previous employer failed to pay my gratuity. Can I file a case 6 months after resignation?

My previous employer failed to pay my gratuity six months past now since I resigned, Is it possible to file a case against him after a 6 months period?

May 31, 2022

1275

Can a real estate agency hold a percentage of a property sale until transfer is done?

A real estate agency has signed an MOU stating that a 10% security deposit from the buyer and the seller will be kept in the real estate agency and will be released upon transferring the property. The transfer of the property was blocked due to the court order. According to my colleagues, the real estate agency is not a trustee and they are not allowed to have taken my security check in the first place, is this correct?

Jun 28, 2021

1264

Get quotes from lawyers

Find the right lawyer for your legal needs. Submit your request and get multiple competitive offers from qualified lawyers.

Get quotes

Popular Q&A

View all

How long does it take to get UAE employment visa after I accepted a job offer?

549

188857

Consequences of leaving the UAE without proper cancellation of employment visa

236