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PHOTO BY ARCHIVE
DUBAI – The UAE government has announced sweeping changes to personal and civil laws in the country, including wills and inheritance for non-Muslims and expatriates.
The amendments to the laws, announced on Saturday (November 7), are seen as one of the biggest overhauls of the UAE legal system. The changes are effective immediately.
The provisions allow expatriates to have their personal affairs dealt with according to the law of their home country.
Prior to the changes enforced on Saturday, assets of a deceased person were divided under the Islamic law or sharia.
Now, the laws of the person’s country will dictate how their assets are divided among their next of kin, unless they have a written will.
However, inheritance of property purchased in the UAE will still be decided based on UAE law. ICA/Expat Media
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