Revocation of Property POAs

Under Article 955 of the UAE Civil Code, the principal may dismiss the agent at any time. The right is subject to vested rights of the agent and of third parties, and to notice requirements. A revocation that is not properly notified is not effective against an agent who continues to act, or against a third party dealing in good faith.

The Property-Specific Overlay

For a property Power of Attorney registered against a property at the Dubai Land Department, revocation is a two-step procedure.

The first step is Notary-side revocation. The principal returns to the issuing notary — Dubai Courts, Ministry of Justice, or Private Notary — and executes a revocation instrument. The notary’s record is updated to show that the original POA is cancelled.

The second step is DLD-side filing. The revocation is filed with the Dubai Land Department to remove the POA from the property record. Without this step, the property record continues to reflect the agent’s authority even though the POA itself has been cancelled.

Why Both Steps Are Required

The two registers serve different functions. The notary register records the document’s status as a notarial public record — whether it exists, and whether it has been revoked. The DLD register controls what authority is recognised against the specific property. A revocation visible at the notary register is not automatically visible to the DLD; the principal must complete the filing for the property record to reflect the new position.

Until both steps are complete, an agent presenting the original POA at a Real Estate Registration Centre may still appear on the system as authorised to act.

Notification

Article 955 requires formal notice to the agent. Notice should also be given to any counterparty to whom the POA has been presented — a developer, a bank holding a mortgage, or a broker handling a transaction. Failure to notify means the revocation is not effective against third parties acting in good faith. Documentation of notice should be retained.

For canonical full treatment of revocation procedure, including notification doctrine and revocation from abroad, see poacancellation.ae. For execution support, see poas.ae.