Finance guide
You don't have to be in Dubai to complete a purchase. A Power of Attorney lets a trusted person sign and transfer in your name — but it only works once it's notarised, attested, legally translated into Arabic, and scoped to the deal. Here's the sequence and the pitfalls.
Pick someone you trust — a lawyer, a relative, or a regulated conveyancing firm — to act on your behalf. Their name and passport details go into the POA. For property, a specific (not general) POA limited to the named transaction is safer.
The deed should name the exact powers: to sign the MOU, pay fees, sign the DLD transfer, collect the title deed, and connect utilities. A narrow scope limits what can be done in your name. UAE authorities want the property and powers spelled out.
If you sign outside the UAE, a local notary public certifies your signature. If you can attend a UAE notary (or a UAE embassy abroad), that route avoids some attestation steps.
A POA executed abroad usually needs attestation by the issuing country's foreign ministry and the UAE embassy there, then the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on arrival. Apostille alone is not accepted — the UAE is not a full Hague-apostille destination for this.
A POA not in Arabic must be translated by a UAE-licensed legal translator and stamped. The DLD and notary act on the Arabic text, so the translation must mirror the powers exactly.
With the attested, translated POA, your attorney signs the MOU, pays the 4% DLD fee + balance, and attends the trustee office. The title deed issues in YOUR name — the attorney only acts, never owns.
A general POA hands broad control of your affairs. For one purchase, a transaction-specific POA naming the property and powers is far safer and is what most lawyers recommend.
Notary → foreign ministry → UAE embassy → MOFA can take one to several weeks depending on the country. Start it early; it is the usual bottleneck for remote completions.
UAE property POAs are often treated as valid for a limited period (commonly ~2 years) and can be revoked at the notary. Confirm validity before the transfer date.
If you are financing, the lender may require its own POA wording or your physical/biometric presence for the mortgage. Clear the bank's POA stance before relying on it for the whole deal.