Corporate Power of Attorney Notarisation in Dubai

What a company power of attorney is and who it names

A company power of attorney is issued by the company, not by an individual owner personally, and it names both the company and the person receiving authority: a manager, a PRO handling government paperwork, a partner, or an external lawyer. It should also name who signed on the company’s behalf, in what capacity, and, where relevant, the resolution that authorised the signature. A document that only says “the company” without naming the signatory and their authority is far more likely to be questioned by a bank or licensing authority.

Common uses

• Setting up or renewing a trade licence with the relevant Department of Economy and Tourism or free zone authority
• Opening or operating company bank accounts
• Signing contracts and agreements on the company’s behalf
• Representing the company before government departments, courts, or Dubai Land Department for a company property matter
• Appointing a PRO to handle visa, licence and other government paperwork day to day

Who can sign a company power of attorney, and the board resolution behind it

The person who signs a company power of attorney needs the authority to bind the company, which usually comes from the company’s own memorandum of association, its manager’s authority, or a specific board or shareholder resolution authorising the power of attorney and naming the agent. Our board resolution guide and memorandum of association guide cover how that underlying authority is documented and notarised.

General versus special company power of attorney

A power of attorney for a company share transfer is a distinct document with its own requirements; see our power of attorney for share transfer page if that is what you need.

Foreign parent companies: notarisation abroad and attestation in the UAE

If the power of attorney is issued by a parent company outside the UAE, the document generally needs:

1. Signature before a notary in the country where the parent company is based, by a person with authority to bind that company.
2. Attestation by that country’s foreign ministry.
3. Attestation by the UAE embassy or consulate there.
4. Attestation in the UAE by MOFAIC, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
5. Translation into Arabic by a legal translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice.

The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille issued in the parent company’s home country does not replace this chain. Our guide to notarising a UAE power of attorney from abroad sets out the sequence step by step.

Mainland and free zone acceptance

Requirements for a company power of attorney can differ between mainland licensing authorities and free zone authorities, and between individual free zones. It is worth confirming what a specific bank, department or free zone wants named in the document before it is finalised, rather than after.

When a company power of attorney ends

A company power of attorney ends on the term stated in the document, on completion of the task it names, or under Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, if the signatory or the agent dies or loses legal capacity. It can also be revoked by the company at any time; see our guide to cancelling a power of attorney in Dubai for the process. There is no general statutory validity period for a UAE power of attorney, so treat a fixed number of years quoted elsewhere as unconfirmed unless it comes from the document itself or the authority relying on it.