Scope of Application and Right of Ownership

Article No.3

This law shall apply to Land situated in the Emirate

Article No.4

The right to own Land in the Emirate shall be restricted to citizens of the UAE, citizens of cooperation council for the Arab sates of the Gulf, the companies totally owned by any of the forgoing, and public stock companies. Foreign persons may, subject to the approval of the ruler, be granted in certain areas the following rights:

a) The right to acquire absolute ownership of Land without restrictions as to time.

b) The right to acquire usufruct or leasehold of Land for a period not exceeding 99 years.

Chapter Three

General provisions

Article (5)

The originals of documents and judicial decisions in pursuance of which

Registration is made shall be kept in the Department, and shall not be moved outside its premises. Interested parties, judicial authorities or experts appointed by them, as well as competent committees may have access to such originals and obtain a certified copy thereof in accordance with provisions of this Law. 

Chapter Four

Jurisdiction of the Department

Article No.6

The Department shall have exclusive jurisdiction to register the rights over Land and leaseholds mentioned in Article 4 of this Law. For this purpose, the Department may do any of the following:

Determine the areas to be surveyed or re-surveyed and certify the maps drawn therefore.
Prescribe rules in relation to surveying and inspection, as well as in relation to issuance of maps relating to Land Units;
Prepare model forms of contract relating to real estate transactions;
Prescribe rules concerning organizing, archiving an destruction of documents; Lay down rules in relation to using computers in storing and recoding data;
Lay down rules in relation to regulating and keeping a register of real estate brokers;
Prescribe rules in relation to evaluating land
Lay down rules in relation to voluntary sales of Land by public auction and supervision of such sales;
Determine the fees payable for services rendered by the Department; and
Establish branches of the Department as the Director may deem appropriate.
Chapter Five

The Land Register

Article No.7

A Land register shall be maintained in the Department to record all rights over Land and any changes that might take place in respect of them. The register shall be conclusive evidence against all and everyone unless it I proved to be the result of fraud or forgery.

Article (8)

Subjects to the provisions of Article (7) of this Law, all electronic records shall have the same weight of evidence as that of their hard copy written originals.