If you live in the UAE and own anything here — an apartment, a bank account, a company, or simply the legal responsibility for your children — you have two main ways to register a will: the DIFC Wills Service Centre and the Dubai Courts notary (with the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department playing the equivalent role in Abu Dhabi). Both are valid. They are not interchangeable.
What the two routes actually are
A DIFC will is an English-language will registered under a common-law framework at the DIFC Wills Service Centre. Since Dubai Law No. 2 of 2025, the DIFC Courts have exclusive jurisdiction over wills registered there, and a DIFC probate order is enforced directly against Dubai assets — the Dubai Land Department, UAE banks and the RTA act on it without a separate recognition case before the onshore courts.
A UAE (Dubai Courts) will is a bilingual Arabic–English will notarised through the Dubai Courts. It is recognised across all seven emirates and is available to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
Five questions that decide it
1. Where are your assets? Assets concentrated in Dubai favour DIFC (direct enforcement). Assets spread across several emirates — a Sharjah apartment, an Abu Dhabi account — favour a Dubai Courts will, or a combination.
2. What is your budget? DIFC registration fees are materially higher. A Dubai Courts will is the cost-effective route for straightforward estates.
3. Do you need English or Arabic proceedings? DIFC probate runs in English before common-law judges. Dubai Courts proceedings run in Arabic — manageable with counsel, but a consideration for executors abroad.
4. Are you Muslim? The DIFC registry serves non-Muslims. Muslims who wish to direct the disposable portion of their estate use the onshore route.
5. Who takes your children? Both routes let you appoint guardians for minor children resident in the UAE — for many parents this, not the assets, is the real reason to register a will this year rather than "someday."
What happens with no will at all
Without a registered will, UAE courts apply the default inheritance framework, accounts are typically frozen while heirs are determined, and — under the reforms that took effect with the new Personal Status Law — the estate of a foreign resident with no identifiable heirs can ultimately be converted to a charitable endowment. The default outcome is rarely the outcome your family would have chosen.
Our recommendation
There is no universally "better" register — there is a better register for your asset map and family situation. Al Safar & Partners drafts and registers both types: Ms. Naima Labgaa leads UAE wills and Mr. Niaz Brohi leads DIFC wills. The 10-minute questionnaire at the end of this article gives our team what they need to recommend a route within one business day.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Speak to a qualified UAE wills lawyer about your circumstances.