In the UAE is it Ex-pats, expats or good old fashioned expatriates?

Well whatever the correct term is, a foreigner living and working in any of the seven UAE Emirates namely Dubai, Abu Dhabi,Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Ras al Khamaih (RAK) or Umm al Quaiwain, is one.

Dubai UAE skyline will be a familiar sight for expats

As an expat you will need to get to grips with local customs and as soon as possible get to know the local law too. You probably will be regaled with some of the horror stories first and in due course the more mundane stuff will trickle through.

One thing that may fit the horror story part is inheritance law and what to do about Wills. The second hand information that is bandied about can be misleading and sometimes very very wrong.

Looking at inheritance law in the UAE for expats there are two basic propositions that apply to your assets and property held in the UAE.

1. No Will = Intestate = Shariah law inheritance rules apply.

2. Valid foreign Will = your wishes are followed but maybe not for UAE real property.

So not all bad news but there are some elements that need explaining and there may be choices as to the best way to deal with getting the right Will as an expat. Find out more on this expat Wills page.