DIFC Courts Welcome ‘The Law for Administration of Non-Muslim Estates in Dubai and Execution of their Wills'

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 1 November, 2017:  The procedures for registration and enforcement of DIFC Wills through the DIFC Wills & Probate Registry and the DIFC Courts, enabling non-Muslims the freedom of choice on inheritance matters, have been strengthened following the announcement of ‘The Law for Administration of Non-Muslim Estates in Dubai and Execution of their Wills’.

Commenting on ‘The Law for Administration of Non-Muslim Estates in Dubai and Execution of their Wills’, Michael Hwang, Chief Justice, DIFC Courts: “We welcome this new law and applaud the Government of Dubai’s continuing commitment to offering eligible residents and investors the freedom to choose how their Dubai assets are distributed, should they pass away.”

He added: ‘The new streamlined procedure for the enforcement of DIFC registered Wills should now enable probate applications to be processed more smoothly and efficiently. We also believe that the additional clarity that this law brings will bolster confidence for people living, working and investing in Dubai.”

To date, the Registry has registered over 3,000 Wills, and ten Probate Orders have been issued by the DIFC Courts. Under the new law, DIFC Will registration will operate through a “Wills Registry for Non-Muslims”. Transitional provisions in the law state explicitly that all previously registered wills are considered valid.

The new law ensures Probate Orders follow the same system of execution in the Dubai Courts as used successfully for all other DIFC Court Orders.  Since the DIFC Courts were formed, over 100 Orders have been presented to the Dubai Courts for execution through a simple, straightforward process. Locking into these tried and tested procedures will make the services offered by the Registry even more compelling, and give further reassurance to those registering their Wills that their inheritance wishes will be upheld.