UAE Expats Register Over 21,000 Wills as Estate-Planning Demand Surges

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UAE expats register over 21,000 wills since 2024, signalling a surge in demand for professional estate-planning services.

Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court data shows approximately 21,000 civil wills registered since the system launched in 2022.
Around 11,000 wills were registered in 2025 alone - more than double the previous year's total.
Non-Muslim expatriates can now register wills remotely via video conferencing in Arabic or English.
Interest-free fee-instalment options have been introduced to lower cost barriers for expat families.
New 2026 civil-law reforms will route heirless expatriate assets to approved UAE charitable foundations.
The DIFC Wills Service in Dubai reported a 14% year-on-year increase in registrations during the first half of 2025.

Abu Dhabi Judicial Department Reports Record Will Registrations

The Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court has recorded a sharp rise in civil-will registrations, with roughly 21,000 wills now on file since the court framework was established under Civil Marriage Law No. 14 of 2021. The figures, released by the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD), highlight growing awareness among UAE-based expatriates of the need to formalise succession plans for locally held assets.

The milestone coincides with the introduction of Federal Decree-Law No. 51 of 2024 and broader 2026 civil-law reforms that will change how heirless expatriate estates are handled. In parallel, the DIFC Wills Service in Dubai has also reported strong growth, reinforcing a nationwide shift towards structured estate planning across the UAE's expatriate community.

Will Registrations More Than Double in 2025

Data from the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court shows that around 11,000 wills were registered in 2025 alone, as reported by Filipino Times. That figure represents more than double the number recorded in 2024 and marks one of the sharpest year-on-year increases since the civil-wills system launched. ADJD officials attribute the jump to growing awareness among foreign residents about asset protection and estate planning.

The court's civil-family-law model targets non-Muslim residents and visitors specifically. It provides a secular legal channel that sits alongside the UAE's broader Sharia-based inheritance rules, giving expatriates a clear route to specify how their UAE-based assets - including real estate, bank accounts and business interests - should be distributed.

How the Civil-Wills System Works

The Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court allows non-Muslims to register wills in Arabic or English using approved templates. These templates guide applicants through core elements such as naming beneficiaries, setting out residuary clauses and appointing executors. Registrants can complete the entire process remotely via video conferencing, reducing the need for repeated in-person visits.

Legal representation is not mandatory, meaning individuals can self-register under certain conditions. However, practitioners note that professionally drafted wills tend to produce fewer disputes and cleaner probate outcomes. The court has also introduced interest-free fee-instalment options for will registration, lowering the upfront cost barrier for expatriate families who may be managing succession across multiple jurisdictions.

New Civil-Law Reforms Raise the Stakes

The rise in registrations coincides with significant 2026 UAE civil-law reforms. Under the new Personal Status Law No. 41 of 2024 and Federal Decree-Law No. 51 of 2024, heirless expatriate assets located in the UAE will be routed to approved charitable foundations rather than left unclaimed. As Gulf News and VisaHQ have reported, this shift further strengthens the incentive for expats to register wills through the ADJD, DIFC Wills Service or Dubai Courts.

Without a registered will, an expatriate's UAE-based assets could default to rules that may not reflect their wishes. The new laws make it particularly important for residents holding property, investment accounts or business stakes in the UAE to formalise their succession plans promptly.

Dubai's DIFC Wills Service Also Reports Growth

Abu Dhabi is not alone in recording strong demand. The DIFC Wills Service in Dubai has registered over 13,400 wills in total, with 922 wills recorded in the first half of 2025 alone. That figure represents a roughly 14% year-on-year increase, according to Motei and Associates. Dubai-based professionals report higher volumes of will-related enquiries and growing cross-referrals from wealth managers, private banks and real-estate advisors.

What This Means for Professionals

Legal and estate-planning firms cite the 21,000-wills milestone as evidence that UAE expatriates are moving from a "will-avoidance" phase to a more compliance-oriented approach. Firms such as Legal Inz and Motei and Associates have highlighted the data in their advisory content, positioning the trend as a signal that wills are becoming a standard part of financial planning for UAE residents.

For advisory professionals, the trend creates several openings. Demand is growing for UAE-specific will reviews, particularly for expats with mixed-jurisdiction portfolios spanning the UK, India and the wider GCC. There is also an increasing need to integrate UAE will-registration into broader wealth-planning and cross-border tax workflows, especially for clients with family trusts, life-insurance policies and onshore UAE assets.

Estate-planning practitioners may also find that drafting a UAE-registered will serves as an effective entry point for wider advisory engagement, including guardianship arrangements, powers of attorney and contingency instructions.