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Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The DIFC Courts has announced changes to the rules of wills registrations, which will now accommodate all resident and investor assets across the Emirates, as well as assets held outside the UAE.
Effective from July 1, 2019, the Courts’ Wills Service Centre also confirmed that existing wills registered with the Courts can be amended free-of-charge until August 31, 2019, to include UAE-wide assets and assets outside the UAE.
Zaki Bin Azmi, Chief Justice, Chief Registrar, said: “With almost eight million expatriates residing in the UAE, the Government of Dubai and the DIFC Courts recognised the need for an innovative legal solution for non-Muslims that provides peace of mind for residents and investors, as well as enhance Dubai and the UAE’s attractiveness as a destination for expatriate talent and investment. Recognising the increased demand, we have now amended our rules to expand the remit of this public service to assets across all the emirates of the UAE and beyond.”
Launched in 2015, the DIFC Courts established an additional ancillary service in the form of the Wills Service Centre (the ‘Wills Service’), a joint initiative of the Government of Dubai and the DIFC Courts that gives non-Muslims living and investing in the UAE the option to pass on their assets and/or appoint guardians for their children, in accordance with the instructions in their Will.
As the first jurisdiction in the MENA region to offer this service, establishing a will with the DIFC Courts ensures your assets will be distributed in accordance with your wishes, providing certainty for you and your family.
Since this service began in 2015, the DIFC Courts have registered over 5,000 wills, with more than 85 lawyers representing more than 80 law firms, based in the UAE and overseas, registered as Wills Draftsmen.
About the DIFC Courts
The UAE’s DIFC Courts administer a unique English-language common law system – offering swift, independent justice to settle local and international commercial or civil disputes. The Courts, based in Dubai, provide certainty through transparent, enforceable judgments from internationally recognised judges, who adhere to the highest global legal standards. The DIFC Courts are independent from, but complementary to, the UAE’s Arabic-language civil law system – offering a choice that strengthens both processes while ensuring public access to world-class justice.
In October 2011, a decree of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, opened the DIFC Courts’ jurisdiction to businesses from all across the GCC region and beyond to
provide the international business community with access to one of the most advanced commercial courts in the world.
The DIFC Courts were established under laws enacted by the late HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai in September 2004. The laws establishing the DIFC Courts are designed to ensure that the DIFC Courts provide the certainty, flexibility and efficiency expected by Court users. The Courts’ community-focused approach encourages early settlement, while their successful track record supports Dubai’s growing status as an international business hub.
In line with HH Sheikh Mohammed’s vision, the DIFC Courts serve to develop the UAE national workforce and enhance the competitiveness of Emirati advocates. The DIFC Courts are spearheading training programmes predominantly aimed at local Emirati lawyers, which offer knowledge of, and qualifications in, the English-language common law system.
About DIFC Wills Service Centre (WSC)
The DIFC Wills Service Centre (the ‘Wills Service’) is a joint initiative of the Government of Dubai and the DIFC Dispute Resolution Authority that gives non-Muslims investing and living in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah the option to pass on their assets and/or appoint guardians for their children, in accordance with the instructions in their Will.
The Wills Service was established by Resolution No. 4 of 2014 issued by His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the President of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), and its authority re-affirmed by Dubai Law No. 15 of 2017 issued by his Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, regulating inheritance, wills and probate for non-Muslims.
As a distinct entity, the Wills Service provides administrative support to the DIFC Courts Wills Registry for Non-Muslims (the ‘Registry’) where the register of DIFC Wills is held and where all probate matters and probate claims are handled.
The Wills Service and the Registry together provide a system ensuring that a person’s Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah assets will be distributed in accordance with the terms of their registered Wills. They are governed by Dubai Law No. 15 of 2017 and a set of detailed rules (the ‘Rules’) which establishes a system that combines operational speed, efficiency and cost effectiveness with the certainty of judicial enforcement.
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