Families with property, bank accounts, or business interests spread across the UAE and Syria face a succession planning problem that a single will rarely solves. Each jurisdiction applies its own rules to the assets located within it, and without coordinated planning, an estate can end up contested, delayed, or distributed in ways the family never intended.
Registered wills in the UAE cover UAE assets, not everything
The DIFC Wills Service Centre and Dubai Courts both offer registered wills that give non-Muslims a way to direct how their UAE assets are distributed. That protection, however, is generally limited to assets held within the UAE, it does not automatically extend to property or accounts held in Syria.
Syrian assets need their own instrument
Real estate and business interests in Syria are subject to Syrian succession law and, in many cases, require separate documentation recognised by Syrian courts. Families who assume their UAE will automatically covers everything are often surprised, usually at the worst possible time, that it does not.
What coordinated planning looks like
- A registered UAE will covering UAE-situated assets.
- A parallel, properly executed instrument for Syrian assets that does not conflict with the UAE will.
- Clear guardianship provisions if minor children are involved, addressed in both jurisdictions.
- Periodic review as assets, residency, or family circumstances change.
With offices in both Dubai and Damascus, we routinely structure succession plans that work across both legal systems rather than leaving a gap between them.