What happens to my UAE property if I die without a will?

If you die without a registered will, the UAE courts take control of your estate. For non-Muslims, the estate is distributed under UAE civil law (Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022), which allocates 50% to the surviving spouse and divides the remaining 50% equally among children. For Muslims, Sharia inheritance rules apply. All property and assets are frozen until the court processes the estate, which can take several months.

Critically, any rented property becomes affected too: rental income is frozen, tenancy agreements cannot be renewed without a court-appointed representative, and any DLD property transfer requires a court distribution order.