Selling Dubai property through a power of attorney: sale proceeds now go only to the owner’s UAE account

You can still sell a Dubai apartment without flying in: an attorney signs on your behalf. What changed in mid-2025 is where the money goes. The Dubai Land Department stopped the arrangement in which the attorney collected the purchase price and passed it on. The manager's cheque is now made out to the owner named on the title deed — which means the seller needs a UAE bank account in their own name.

What changed

The change came in two steps. In June 2025 the market was told that sale proceeds must be paid in the name of the title-deed owner rather than the attorney. On 16 July 2025 the Land Department issued Circular No. 29/R/2025, which reset the requirements for the POA itself:

• the POA must identify the property (title deed number, building, plot) and the transaction — sale, purchase, lease or mortgage — and, where known, the counterparty;
• a POA signed abroad must be notarised locally, legalised by the UAE embassy or consulate, attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and translated into Arabic;
• the original must be presented at the trustee office; scans and electronic copies are refused;
• the manager's cheque is issued to the owner. It can be issued to the attorney only if both the POA and the sale agreement expressly allow it and the receipt confirms the money was received on the seller's behalf.

That exception is narrow, and it is not worth planning a sale around it: any departure from the standard path adds checks and puts the transfer date at risk.

Why Dubai did it

Fraud. The familiar pattern was a forged or revoked POA, the sale of someone else's apartment, and proceeds paid to the "attorney" that then vanished. Once payment can physically reach no one but the owner, the scheme stops working. For an honest seller it means one more preparatory step; for the buyer, less risk that the real owner appears six months later.

The order of work for an overseas seller

1. Open a UAE bank account first. It is the slowest step — not every bank onboards non-residents, and none do it in a day. See our note on UAE accounts for non-residents.
2. Draft a transaction-specific POA. A general "manage my property" power will be rejected. Name the property, the sale, the right to sign the agreement, obtain the developer's NOC and file for transfer.
3. Legalise it. Notary, UAE consulate, UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, translation. Allow several weeks.
4. Deal with the mortgage. If the property is charged, the seller's bank takes part in the transfer and is paid directly; only the recipient of the balance changes.
5. Collect the no-dues certificate for service charges and the developer's NOC.

The seller-side costs and paperwork in full are in our guide to selling an apartment in Dubai. One market effect is worth knowing: owners who will not open a UAE account come to market later, and some accept a discount for speed — one of the sources of below-market resale stock.

If you are preparing a sale from abroad, start with the account and the POA, then discuss price and timing on our sell your Dubai property page — we will tell you which documents your particular unit needs.