Almost every foreign buyer I talk to has heard some version of "if you don't have a will in Dubai, Sharia law decides who gets your property, and you might not like the answer." That fear used to be accurate. It's genuinely out of date now, and not knowing that costs people money — often on lawyers and will services they may not actually need in the form they're buying them.
What changed in 2022
Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 introduced a civil personal status framework specifically for non-Muslim foreigners in the UAE, effective from February 2023. Before this law, a non-Muslim expat who died without a will could have their UAE estate — including property — distributed according to Sharia inheritance principles by default, which follow fixed shares that often don't match what a Western family would expect or intend. This law removed that automatic default for non-Muslims.
Under the new federal framework, if a non-Muslim foreigner dies in the UAE without a will, the default split is: 50% of the estate to the surviving spouse, and the remaining 50% divided equally among the children — regardless of gender. That's a straightforward civil-law-style default, not a Sharia forced-heirship calculation.
So do you still need a will?
Yes — but understand what it's actually for now. The federal default is a fixed, generic split. It doesn't let you choose anything: it won't let you leave everything to your spouse if that's what you actually want, it won't name a guardian for minor children, it won't include a beneficiary outside your immediate family, and it can't account for a blended family or a specific wish about how a property should be handled. A registered will exists to override that generic default with your own actual instructions — not to protect you from Sharia law, which the 2022 law already addressed for non-Muslims by default.
There's also a practical reason beyond the split itself: a clear, registered will makes the court and DLD process of transferring a property to your heirs faster and less ambiguous. Dying without any documentation — even under the more favourable 2023 default — still means your family navigates a probate process during an already difficult time. A will shortens that.
Where the DIFC Wills Service Centre fits in
The DIFC Wills Service Centre, established in 2015, is a registry specifically built for non-Muslims to register an English-language will under a common-law framework governing their UAE assets — real estate, financial assets, or a full estate. As of current published fees, a Real Property Will (covering property specifically) registers for roughly USD 840, and a Full Estate Will for roughly USD 1,400, plus separate legal drafting costs (commonly AED 3,000-10,000) if you use a solicitor rather than drafting it yourself within the permitted template. It isn't your only option — non-Muslims can alternatively register a will through the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court or Dubai Courts' notary process — but DIFC's is the most established route specifically built with foreign asset-holders in mind.
What this actually means for you as a property owner
If you own Dubai property and haven't documented anything, you're not in the legal exposure you may have heard about years ago — the 2022 federal law already gives non-Muslim foreigners a civil-style default. But "not exposed to the old risk" isn't the same as "your actual wishes are documented." If you want a specific person to inherit a specific property, want to name a guardian for children, or your family situation doesn't fit a simple 50/50 spouse-children split, registering a will — DIFC or otherwise — is still the only way to make that happen.
This sits alongside the other ownership paperwork worth understanding as a foreign buyer — see how freehold vs leasehold status affects what you actually own and can pass on in the first place.
Before you assume you're covered
- Confirm your own religious/personal-status classification with a qualified lawyer — the 2022 law's civil framework specifically covers non-Muslims; Muslim foreigners' inheritance in the UAE follows a different framework.
- If the federal default 50/50 split genuinely matches what you'd want, you may not need a will beyond understanding that default clearly — confirm this with a lawyer rather than assuming.
- If you want anything different from that default — specific beneficiaries, guardianship, unequal distribution — register a will through DIFC or another available route.
- Keep your will updated as your family situation changes; an outdated will can create more confusion than no will at all.
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This article explains the general framework of Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 and the DIFC Wills Service Centre as publicly reported at the time of writing. Inheritance law is highly personal and fact-specific — it depends on your religion, nationality, family structure, and the nature of your assets. This is not legal advice; consult a qualified UAE inheritance lawyer before making any decision about your estate, and do not rely on this article as a substitute for one.