Buying in Dubai remotely: the power of attorney (POA) and the DLD rules

Investing in Dubai: the guide to framing your project

Many international investors buy in Dubai without being there on signing day. Depending on the type of purchase, a power of attorney (POA) may be essential. Since July 2025, the Dubai Land Department has applied stricter rules: a poorly drafted or poorly legalised POA blocks the transaction.

1. Do you really need a power of attorney?

For an off-plan purchase, you deal directly with the developer: reservation form, sale and purchase agreement (SPA) signed electronically or by courier, payments into the project's escrow account, then registration of the sale in the DLD's interim register (Oqood) by the developer. In most cases, no POA is needed. The full process is detailed in our off-plan guide.

For a completed property bought from a private seller, the transfer of ownership is signed at a trustee office approved by the Dubai Land Department, in the presence of the buyer and the seller (or their representatives), with manager's cheques handed over. If you cannot attend, you must be represented by an attorney holding a valid POA.

For the whole purchase process, see buying an apartment in Dubai from abroad.

2. What the Dubai Land Department has required since 2025

DLD Circular No. 29/R/2025 of 16 July 2025 sets standards for powers of attorney used in property transactions (sale, purchase, gift, mortgage, usufruct, musataha). According to the analysis published by the law firm BSA:

• the POA must expressly authorise the transaction carried out, with suitable wording; general or vague wording may be rejected;
• a POA issued abroad must have been issued within the two years before it is presented;
• it must be notarised in the issuing country, legalised by the UAE embassy or consulate, then attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• the original must be presented: a scanned copy is not enough;
• a document drafted in a language other than Arabic requires a legal translation by a UAE-licensed translator;
• the DLD verifies the POA only through the official platforms of the courts and the Ministry of Justice.

3. How to draft a good POA for a purchase

• A specific rather than a general POA: identify the property (project, building, unit number) and the transaction.
• Precise powers: sign the sale contract and DLD forms, hand over payments, sign the transfer, collect the title deed, connect utilities if needed.
• A bilingual Arabic-English document, ideally prepared with a lawyer or notary familiar with Dubai's requirements, to avoid rejection at the counter.
• A clear duration and limits, and the option to revoke it once the transaction is complete.

If you spend a few days in Dubai before the transaction, it is often simpler to sign the POA directly before a notary in the UAE: it then does not need the foreign legalisation chain.

4. Who to choose as your attorney

Your attorney will have the power to commit your money. Choose a trusted person or an independent professional (lawyer) whose interests are not linked to the seller. Avoid giving a broad POA to an intermediary paid on commission from the sale.

5. Payments: the golden rule

Payment fraud is the main risk of a remote purchase. Never make a transfer on the basis of an email alone, even if it seems to come from the developer, the agent or the notary. Verify bank details through a second channel (a call to a known number, a signed document), and for an off-plan project, make sure the account is indeed the project's escrow account stated in the contract.

6. A realistic timeline

Allow several weeks between drafting the POA, notarisation, consular legalisation, sending the original and attestation in the UAE. Start the process as soon as the memorandum of understanding (MOU) is signed if you cannot attend the transfer, and keep a margin before the date booked at the trustee office.

This content is for information only and does not constitute tax, legal or financial advice. Figures and rules checked on 28 October 2026; they may change.