Power of Attorney for Property in Abu Dhabi: Buying and Selling Remotely (2026)

Can someone else buy or sell property for you in Abu Dhabi?

Yes. Sales and purchases are registered on DARI, and the sale agreement records any attorney acting for a party. The attorney can sign the agreement, attend the transfer and, if the power allows, receive payment. Overseas owners commonly combine a licensed broker to market the property with a trusted attorney to sign. Our guides to selling from abroad and DARI explain the rest of the process. Heirs often sign through a power of attorney; see selling inherited property in Abu Dhabi.

What should a property power of attorney say?

Use a special, property-specific power rather than a general one. ADJD’s rules, as reported by Gulf News, require a power for a sale or assignment to specify the property or asset. Spell out each act you are authorising:

Name the property by plot, building and unit number, and give the attorney’s full name and ID details. Ask DARI, your bank or your adviser to review the draft wording before you sign, because a rejected document can cost weeks.

How do you get a power of attorney in the UAE?

If you are in the UAE, apply through ADJD’s notary service on its website, logging in with UAE Pass. Gulf News (November 2025) reports these terms:

1. Fee: AED 100 per year of validity, plus AED 500 to add authority to sign on your behalf.

2. Validity: up to three years for a general power (up to five for a lawyer’s litigation power).

3. Language: Arabic and English.

4. Age: at least 21 for civil matters.

5. Cancellation: online, at any time.

ATB Legal (December 2025) describes ADJD’s fully automated service, which lets residents choose a template and receive a digitally authenticated power without visiting a notary. Some older guides still describe a video call, so check the current process on ADJD.

How do you make a power of attorney signed abroad valid in Abu Dhabi?

A power of attorney signed outside the UAE must go through a chain of legalisation before it can be used:

1. Sign it before a notary public in the country where you live.

2. Have it legalised by the UAE embassy or consulate in that country, after any attestation your own government requires first.

3. Have it attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs once it reaches the UAE.

4. Have it translated into Arabic by a certified legal translator if it is not already in Arabic.

The original must be presented. The National and Gulf News describe the same chain, but requirements differ by country and change from time to time, so check with the UAE embassy and with DARI or ADJD before you sign. Allow several weeks.

How much does a power of attorney cost?

Who should you appoint, and how do you limit the risk?

Your attorney can bind you, so choose someone you trust completely, such as a family member or a lawyer. Limit the power to the property and acts you need, require the price to be paid into your own named account, set an expiry date and cancel it once the transaction is done. Be cautious about giving sale powers to the broker who is also marketing the property. If you are planning for what happens to your property in the long term, a power of attorney is not a substitute for a will; see our inheritance and wills guide.

Is it different on Al Reem or Al Maryah Island?

Yes. Both islands fall within ADGM, and property there is registered with the ADGM Registration Authority. ADGM Courts run their own notary service. Ask the ADGM Registration Authority which forms of power of attorney it accepts before you sign. Our selling guide covers the rest of a sale.

*General information, not legal advice. Notarisation and attestation rules change; confirm with ADJD, ADGM, DARI and the UAE embassy before you act.*