- What law governs the
inheritance on the demise of UAE national or an
expatriate?
The principal source of law of inheritance in UAE is Shariah and
on the basis of which several Federal Laws have been promulgated.
In addition, main laws governing succession are Federal Law Number
5 of 1985 concerning the Civil Transactions Code (the
Civil Law) and Federal Law Number 28 of
2005 regarding the Personal Status Law (the Personal
Law).
Article 1(2) of the Personal Law states that the law will be
applicable on all the citizens of UAE unless a non-Muslim foreign
national have special provisions according to their community,
which empowers the foreigner to have a choice of the law and avoid
application of Shariah. Simultaneously, Article 17 of the Civil Law
states that the inheritance will be governed by the law of the
testator at the time of his death.
