Who inherits without a will in the United Arab Emirates?

For Muslims, a wife takes one eighth and a husband one quarter, and the children take the rest, a son twice the share of a daughter.

For Muslims, with no children a wife takes one quarter and a husband one half.

For Muslims, the fixed-share heirs and the nearest male relatives inherit. For non-Muslim foreigners the law that applies depends on the emirate and on a choice made in a will.

An unmarried partner does not inherit.

A Muslim can freely will away only up to a third of the estate, and not to an heir.

A non-Muslim foreigner can often choose their own country's law in a will registered in the UAE, which avoids the default rules. Without one, the court may apply the law of the person's nationality or the UAE rules.

• The rules for non-Muslim foreigners have changed several times in recent years, so check the current position in the emirate where the person lived.

The United Arab Emirates belongs to the Religious (Islamic) law is a leading source family. Succession law grows out of the legal tradition, so it helps to know how the system works.

Read the United Arab Emirates legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Who owns what in a marriage in the United Arab Emirates? →

• The Official Portal of the UAE Government