Primary Legislation

Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025 — the Civil Transactions Law of the United Arab Emirates, in force from 1 June 2026. It repealed Federal Law No. 5 of 1985 and is now the principal source of agency law in the UAE, including the provisions on Powers of Attorney and their cancellation.
UAE Federal Law No. 5 of 1985 (as amended, including by Federal Decree-Law No. 30 of 2020) — the former Civil Transactions Law, repealed from 1 June 2026. It still governs Powers of Attorney issued, and acts done, before that date (Article 4 of the 2025 law).
Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 — Regulating the Profession of Notary Public. Replaced Federal Law No. 4 of 2013. Recognises both Public Notaries and Private Notaries and gives legal effect to electronic notarisation across the UAE.
Cabinet Resolution No. 16 of 2024 — Executive Regulations implementing Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022. Sets out the operational rules for the notary profession under the new framework.

Local Legislation (Dubai)

Dubai Resolution No. 137 of 2022 — authorises digital notarisation procedures in Dubai. Together with Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, the legal basis for online and remote cancellation in the Emirate.

Authorities

UAE Ministry of Justice — supervises the federal notary system and the Tableegh legal notification service. The channel for cancellation of Powers of Attorney issued through MOJ notaries.
Dubai Courts Notary Public — the public notary channel within Dubai Courts for issuing and registering revocation deeds in respect of Powers of Attorney issued through that channel.
UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC) — handles authentication of foreign legal documents brought into the UAE, including revocation deeds executed abroad.
Dubai Land Department (DLD) — the registering authority for property-related Powers of Attorney in Dubai. Property cancellations must be filed with the DLD as well as with the Notary.
Tableegh — the official legal notification service approved by the UAE Ministry of Justice (tableegh.ae). One of the recognised channels for serving formal notice of revocation on the agent.

Key Provisions Referenced

Article 866 — defines agency as a contract between the principal and the agent whereby the agent undertakes to perform a legal act in the name and on behalf of the principal.
Article 868 — sets out the conditions of validity: the principal’s right to dispose of the matter, the agent’s competence, and a known subject that can be performed by proxy.
Articles 869–871 — distinguish general from special agency; acts beyond administration need a special agency naming the type of act.
Article 897 — sets out when an agency ends: completion of the work, expiry of its period, and the death or loss of legal capacity of the principal or the agent.
Article 898 — the statutory basis for revocation. 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.
Article 899 — the principal must compensate the agent for damage caused by dismissal at an inappropriate time or without acceptable justification.
Article 144 — where the agent and the person he contracts with are both unaware that the agency has expired, the contract’s effects accrue to the principal. This is the reason notification matters.
Pre-1 June 2026 documents: the corresponding provisions of the repealed 1985 law were Articles 924, 925, 927, 954 and 955.

Notes on Use

This page is a reference index. Read each instrument at its official source, and check which version applies to the matter. Historical references are labelled separately. Where an article’s meaning or application matters to a particular case, obtain qualified legal advice; the original Arabic text prevails over the English translation.

Execution

Substantive procedural work referenced to these instruments is handled operationally at poas.ae.