Power Of Attorney Cancellation
Can a Power of Attorney be cancelled in the UAE?
Yes. Article 898 of the UAE Civil Transactions Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, in force from 1 June 2026) provides that the principal may dismiss or restrict the agent whenever he wishes, unless a third party’s right is attached to the agency or it was issued for the agent’s benefit. The procedural mechanism is the execution of a notarised revocation deed, registered in the Notary register against the original document.
No. The principal does not require the agent’s consent to revoke, unless the agency was issued for the agent’s benefit or a third party’s right is attached to it (Article 898 of the Civil Transactions Law). The agent should still be notified: the law protects a contract concluded while both the agent and the other party are unaware that the agency has ended (Article 144).
No. Notarisation establishes the cancellation as a registered legal act. Effectiveness against the agent and against third parties acting in good faith depends on notice having been given to them. Until that notice is given, parties unaware of the cancellation may continue to rely on the original Power of Attorney in good faith, and their reliance is protected.
Yes. A General Power of Attorney can be cancelled at any time by the principal, subject to the same conditions as any other Power of Attorney: a notarised revocation deed, registration in the Notary register, and notice to the agent and to relevant third parties. The breadth of a General Power of Attorney makes the third-party notification step particularly important.
Yes. A non-resident principal can execute a revocation deed before a notary in the country of residence, have it attested by that country’s foreign affairs ministry, legalised by the UAE Embassy in that country, then translated into Arabic in the UAE and authenticated by MOFAIC for local registration.
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No. A new Power of Attorney granted to a different agent does not, by itself, terminate the earlier instrument. Where the principal wants the earlier authority extinguished, the earlier Power of Attorney must be expressly revoked. Until that is done, both documents may exist in parallel.
A property-related Power of Attorney registered with the Dubai Land Department requires a two-step cancellation: the notarised revocation in the Notary register, and the filing of the cancellation with the DLD. The DLD will not treat a cancellation as effective on the property record without the DLD-side filing. The original title deed and the property registration details are needed for the DLD step.
Yes. The agent may withdraw from the appointment by executing a notarised notice of withdrawal, which is registered with the issuing notary and served on the principal. The procedural mechanism is similar to revocation by the principal, and the effect is the termination of the agency from the agent’s side.
The cancellation deed must be in Arabic, or accompanied by a certified Arabic translation prepared by a sworn legal translator. A deed in any other language without certified translation will not be accepted by a UAE notary.
The deed remains a valid notarised act on the register. But under Article 144 of the Civil Transactions Law, a contract the former agent concludes with a party who, like the agent, does not know of the revocation still takes effect against the principal. The cost of proper notification is small relative to the cost of being bound to a transaction concluded after revocation but before notice. The notification procedure is set out on the Notification Requirements page.
Treat the agency as ended on the death or legal incapacity of either the principal or the agent, and do not rely on the instrument after either event. Cendale has not been able to verify the current statutory wording on this point, so this page does not state it as an absolute rule; for a specific instrument, confirm the position with the notary that registered it or with a UAE-qualified lawyer. Do not assume a Dubai power of attorney can be drafted to survive the principal’s loss of capacity in the way a Lasting Power of Attorney does in some other jurisdictions. No revocation deed is required for termination on these grounds, though registrars and counterparties will normally ask for documentation before they act on it.
A Power of Attorney described as irrevocable is, in UAE law, generally one issued for the agent’s benefit or to which a third party’s right is attached. Article 898 of the Civil Transactions Law provides that such an agency cannot be terminated or restricted without the consent of the person whose benefit it serves. Whether a particular document meets that description, and what happens when the underlying right falls away, is a question for legal advice on the instrument itself.
Drafting, notarisation, and registration of cancellation deeds are handled operationally at poas.ae.
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poacancellation.ae is an independent reference resource. It is not a government website.
The information on this site is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice.
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Last reviewed: October 2026