A General Power of Attorney (tawkeel aam) in Dubai grants your appointed agent broad authority to act on your behalf across all legal, financial, and administrative matters. It is the most comprehensive form of POA — used primarily by expatriates managing UAE affairs from abroad, or individuals requiring continuous representation over an extended period.
What a General POA Can Authorize Your Agent to Do
- Operate and manage all your UAE bank accounts (deposits, withdrawals, transfers)
- Buy, sell, mortgage, and manage real estate at Dubai Land Department (DLD)
- Sign contracts, agreements, and legal documents on your behalf
- Represent you before all UAE authorities: MOHRE, ICA, DLD, RTA, Ministry of Justice
- File court cases and manage litigation before Dubai Courts and RDC
- Manage and operate your business — sign agreements, hire staff, renew licences
- Renew visas, residency permits, and government registrations
Critical Limitations — What Even a General POA Cannot Do
These actions require personal appearance — no POA can override them
A General POA in Dubai CANNOT authorize an agent to: gift or transfer real estate to themselves, borrow money in the principal's name, open new bank accounts (banks require the account holder in person), apply for loans or credit cards, change account ownership, or close existing accounts. Additionally, a POA automatically becomes void upon the principal's death — it cannot substitute for a Will.
4 Situations Where a General POA Will Be Rejected in Dubai
Other Common Uses Covered by a General POA
- Register or renew Ejari (Tenancy Contract) on behalf of the tenant or landlord — accepted by Dubai Land Department's Ejari system
- Connect, transfer, or disconnect DEWA (Dubai Electricity & Water Authority) utility services
- Complete procedures at Amer Centres, ICA (Federal Authority for Identity), and Typing Offices
- Collect or submit documents from Dubai Courts, Ministry of Justice, or any government entity
When Should You Use a General POA vs a Special POA?
Under UAE law, a General Power of Attorney is valid for a maximum of five (5) years from the date of notarization, unless a shorter validity period is specified in the document. A Special Power of Attorney, by contrast, expires automatically once its specific purpose is fulfilled — it has no fixed maximum duration. We recommend specifying an explicit expiry date in your General POA (typically one to two years) to reduce the risk of misuse if the document is lost or the relationship with your agent changes.
Use General POA when:
- Moving abroad for 6+ months and need continuous management
- Multiple ongoing transactions across different authorities
- Business owner needing a trusted manager to run operations
- Managing elderly parent's affairs on their behalf
Use Special POA when:
- One specific transaction (sell this property, operate this account)
- Limited trust or first-time agent relationship
- DLD or bank requires named property/account in POA
- Short-term need with defined start and end
A General POA is valid for a period of 2 years from the date of notarization, unless the document specifies a different validity period. The principal may revoke a General POA at any time by appearing before a UAE Notary Public. Revocation takes effect from the date of notarization of the revocation deed.
Documents we will ask you for
- ·Original passport or Emirates ID of the Principal (person granting the POA)
- ·Full legal name and passport/ID copy of the Agent (person receiving authority)
- ·Description of the authority to be granted (we advise on scope)
— Frequently asked
Plain answers to the questions we hear most.
A General POA is rejected in 4 main situations: (1) At Dubai Land Department for property sales — DLD requires a Special POA naming the specific Title Deed number; (2) At MOHRE — requires Federal (Ministry of Justice) format, not Dubai Courts format; (3) At banks for opening new accounts — banks require the account holder in person regardless of POA; (4) In specific court cases — some courts require a case-specific POA naming the exact case number.
Generally, no. Dubai Land Department (DLD) requires a Special Power of Attorney that explicitly names the specific property — including the Title Deed number, plot number, and area — to process a property sale. A General POA that does not name the specific property will be rejected by the Trustee Office. If you plan to sell a property through an agent, you need a Special Real Estate POA.
Yes. You can appoint multiple agents in a single General POA. When doing so, you must specify whether each agent can act independently (each can act alone without the other's consent) or jointly (all agents must act together). If not specified, UAE law defaults to joint authority — meaning all named agents must act together for any transaction.
To revoke a General POA in Dubai, you must appear before a licensed Notary Public and sign a Revocation Deed (notarized cancellation document). The revocation takes effect from the date of notarization. You must also notify your agent of the revocation — ideally in writing via registered mail or a formal legal notice — to prevent them from acting on the cancelled POA after revocation.
It depends on the format. A Dubai Courts format General POA is primarily accepted within the Emirate of Dubai (DLD, RTA, Dubai Courts). For transactions in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, or other emirates, and for federal authorities (MOHRE, Ministry of Justice, ICA), you need a Federal format POA issued through the UAE Ministry of Justice. We confirm which format you need before drafting.
Yes. A General POA is accepted by the Ejari system at Dubai Land Department for registering or renewing tenancy contracts on behalf of a tenant or landlord. The POA must explicitly include authority to sign Ejari-related documents and lease agreements. This is one of the most common uses for a real estate POA — delegating property management to a trusted representative in Dubai.