Asset protection and structuring
Hold it properly. Pass it on cleanly.
How to hold property in Dubai and the wider UAE through foundations, holding companies and special purpose vehicles: which structures the Dubai Land Department registers, what each one is for, and how Castilion coordinates the lawyers and corporate service providers who build them.
Coordinated by Castilion
What is included.
Title in your own name is simple, and for many buyers it is right. But an investor with several heirs, assets in more than one country, a business that should be ring fenced from personal holdings, or a wish for privacy on the public register will often hold UAE property through a structure instead. The choice matters because the Dubai Land Department registers title only to the entity types it recognises, and because succession, liability and privacy follow the vehicle rather than the person.
Castilion maps the options before you buy. A DIFC or ADGM Foundation is a legal person with no shareholders, designed for succession and asset protection; a RAK ICC Foundation does the same work from Ras Al Khaimah. Holding companies in DIFC, ADGM, RAK ICC, Jebel Ali Free Zone and selected other free zones, and onshore Dubai companies, can hold freehold title in designated areas under the Land Department's framework and the cooperation agreements it has signed with those registrars. Special purpose vehicles in DIFC and ADGM ring fence a single asset or a single deal. A will registered with the DIFC Courts Wills Service lets a non Muslim owner direct how UAE property passes, with or without a structure around it.
We set out what each route achieves, what it costs to run and what it asks of you in reporting, then coordinate the licensed corporate service providers and lawyers who incorporate the vehicle, obtain the Land Department's approvals and register the title. Castilion is a licensed real estate advisory, not a law firm or a tax adviser; the formal advice comes from them, and the transaction runs on one timetable through us.
The specialist work is contracted with and carried out by independent, licensed partners. Castilion introduces them, agrees the scope with you and coordinates on your behalf.
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- A written structuring brief: heirs, jurisdictions, privacy, liability and exit
- Comparison of direct ownership, foundation, holding company and SPV routes
- Confirmation of which entity types the Dubai Land Department registers for your asset
- Introduction to licensed corporate service providers and lawyers in DIFC, ADGM, RAK ICC and JAFZA
- Coordination of incorporation, Land Department approval and title registration to one timetable
- Wills, guardianship and succession planning through the DIFC Courts Wills Service, with your lawyer
The vehicles
Six ways to hold UAE property, and what each is for.
Every structure below is built by a licensed corporate service provider or law firm. Castilion explains, compares and coordinates; it does not incorporate or give legal advice.
DIFC Foundation
Succession and protection, Dubai law.
A legal person with no shareholders under the DIFC Foundations Law (DIFC Law No. 3 of 2018). A founder endows assets, a council manages them, a guardian may supervise, and beneficiaries receive. Used for family succession, asset protection and holding the companies that hold property.
ADGM Foundation
The Abu Dhabi equivalent.
Established under the ADGM Foundations Regulations in the Abu Dhabi Global Market, a common law jurisdiction. ADGM describes it as a legal entity that separates legal ownership from the beneficiaries' entitlement to proceeds. Often paired with an ADGM SPV that holds the asset itself.
RAK ICC Foundation and companies
Ras Al Khaimah's registry.
RAK ICC registers foundations under its Foundations Regulations 2019 (amended 31 July 2025) and business companies under its 2018 regulations. RAK ICC states that its foundations may hold real estate subject to local land registry requirements, and its 2019 agreement with the Dubai Land Department covers RAK ICC companies owning freehold property in Dubai.
JAFZA offshore company
The long standing Dubai route.
The Jebel Ali Free Zone offshore company lists owning real estate among its principal uses, and the Dubai Land Department's investor guide names JAFZA as the free zone through which a foreign company may hold Dubai property. A registered agent is required.
Onshore company
A Dubai licensed company.
Companies registered with Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism may own property in the designated areas, and anywhere in Dubai when wholly owned by UAE or GCC nationals. Suits an operating business that wants to own its own premises.
DIFC and ADGM SPVs
One asset, one vehicle.
A special purpose vehicle is a private company licensed to hold assets rather than trade. ADGM describes its SPV as ring fencing assets and liabilities; DIFC offers the equivalent. Used for a single building, a single plot or a single joint venture, often beneath a foundation.
Title registration
What the Dubai Land Department registers.
Title passes only when the Land Department registers it. The entity types below are recognised under its investor guide and the cooperation agreements it has signed; every structure is confirmed with the Department before purchase.
Designated areas
Where a foreign owner, or a foreign owned company, may hold freehold.
Regulation No. 3 of 2006 identifies the areas where non UAE and non GCC nationals may own freehold, including Palm Jumeirah, Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, Business Bay and others. UAE and GCC nationals, and companies wholly owned by them, may own anywhere in Dubai.
Dubai free zone companies
JAFZA and other approved free zones.
The Department's guide states that companies registered in a Dubai free zone such as JAFZA may own real estate in the designated areas, and that a foreign company must establish a free zone company rather than hold title directly.
DIFC and ADGM entities
Cooperation agreements with both financial centres.
On 19 November 2025 the Land Department signed a memorandum of understanding with the DIFC Family Wealth Centre which, in DIFC's words, will enable families to use DIFC legal structures for real estate ownership. The ADGM Registration Authority signed its memorandum with the Department on 7 November 2018, allowing companies registered in ADGM to own property in Dubai within the Department's framework and registration procedures.
RAK ICC companies
Registered, with natural person shareholders.
Under the 2019 agreement the Department accepts the registration of freehold property to a company listed with RAK ICC or RAKEZ where the shareholders are natural persons, and may approve ownership by juristic shareholders case by case. A no objection letter and the Department's standard documents and fees apply.
Company documents
What the Department asks of a corporate buyer.
Attested corporate documents, proof of the persons authorised to buy or sell for the company, a notarised power of attorney where a representative attends, certified Arabic translations of foreign documents, and prior approval of the structure where a shareholder is a foreign company. Transfers must be registered within 60 days of signing.
Share transfers
Selling the company is selling the property.
The Department treats a change in the shareholding of a company that owns Dubai real estate as a transfer, with notification and fees. A structure chosen for privacy is therefore not a route around the register.
Succession and wills
Who inherits, and under which law.
Sharia succession
The default for Muslim owners.
The estate of a Muslim owner in the UAE passes under Sharia principles. Families who wish to direct specific assets to specific heirs, or to hold property together across generations, often place it in a foundation so that the foundation, not the estate, owns the title.
Non Muslim owners
A registered will.
The DIFC Courts Wills Service, a joint initiative of the Government of Dubai and the DIFC Courts, registers wills for non Muslims aged 18 or over who own assets in the UAE or have minor children living in Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah. UAE residency is not required. A Property Will covers up to five UAE properties; a Full Will covers all UAE assets and guardianship.
Multiple heirs
One asset, several beneficiaries.
A foundation can hold a building for several branches of a family with rules on income, sale and succession written into its by laws, avoiding a fragmented title that no single heir can sell or refinance.
Privacy and ring fencing
Separating what you own from what you run.
Holding property in a vehicle separates it from an operating business and from personal liabilities, and keeps the individual's name off the title. The Department's beneficial ownership and transfer rules still apply.
Process and timing
How a structured purchase runs.
Before the offer
Choose the vehicle.
The brief is settled, the options are compared and the client's lawyer confirms the structure. Where title will pass to a company or foundation, the Land Department's acceptance of that entity type is confirmed first.
Incorporation
Weeks, not months.
DIFC, ADGM and RAK ICC foundations and SPVs are incorporated through online registries once the corporate service provider has completed its checks; JAFZA offshore companies run through a registered agent. Timelines depend on the registrar and the completeness of the file, and the provider gives them in writing.
Approvals
The Department's consent.
Attested corporate documents, the no objection letters the Department requires and, where needed, its prior approval of the structure are assembled before the sale agreement is signed.
Transfer
Title in the vehicle's name.
The transfer is registered at the Land Department within its 60 day window with the authorised signatory or attorney present. Castilion coordinates the trustee office appointment and the developer or owners association no objection certificate.
How it works
Four clear steps.
Brief
Heirs, jurisdictions, privacy, liability and the eventual exit, agreed in writing with you and your lawyer.
Compare
Direct ownership against foundation, holding company and SPV routes, with what each achieves, costs to run and asks of you.
Build
Licensed corporate service providers and lawyers incorporate the vehicle and obtain the Land Department's approvals.
Register
Title is transferred into the vehicle at the Land Department, and the succession documents are registered alongside it.
Who it is for
Made for clients like these.
“I want to hold my UAE property in a way that protects it, passes it to the right people and keeps my affairs private.”
- Families with several heirs or assets in more than one country
- Owners who want property separated from an operating business
- International investors who prefer a company or foundation on the title
- Family offices building a UAE holding for the next generation
Questions
Frequently asked.
Can any company own property in Dubai?
No. The Dubai Land Department registers title to companies it recognises: onshore Dubai companies, companies from Dubai free zones such as JAFZA, and entities from DIFC, ADGM and RAK ICC under its cooperation agreements, within the designated areas for foreign ownership. A company incorporated abroad cannot hold Dubai title directly; it must own through one of these vehicles. We confirm the position for your specific entity with the Department before you commit.
Is a foundation the same as a trust?
No. A trust is a relationship in which trustees hold assets for beneficiaries; a foundation is a legal person in its own right, with no shareholders, that owns its assets outright and is run by a council under its charter and by laws. The DIFC, ADGM and RAK ICC each offer foundations under their own regulations.
Does a structure save tax?
The UAE levies no personal income or capital gains tax on individuals, so for a UAE resident the question is usually succession and protection rather than tax. Corporate holders fall within the UAE corporate tax regime, and your home country may tax you whatever the vehicle. Your tax adviser gives the formal answer; we make sure the question is asked before you buy.
Do I still need a will if I use a foundation?
Often yes, for assets outside the foundation and for guardianship. Non Muslims can register a will with the DIFC Courts Wills Service; Muslims' estates pass under Sharia, which is one reason families use a foundation for property they wish to hold together.
How long does it take?
The corporate service provider gives the incorporation timeline in writing and it is measured in weeks for the DIFC, ADGM and RAK ICC registries. The Land Department transfer itself follows its normal process once the approvals and attested documents are in hand. Plan the structure before you sign the sale agreement, not after.
Is Castilion a law firm?
No. Castilion is a licensed Dubai real estate advisory. The incorporation, the legal advice and the tax advice come from independent licensed corporate service providers, lawyers and tax advisers whom we introduce and coordinate. Their fees are agreed directly with you.
Official sources, checked 3 November 2026:
- Know Your Rights, a guide for real estate investors in Dubai (ownership by nationals, foreign nationals and companies; Regulation No. 3 of 2006; transfer procedure), Dubai Land Department
- Frequently asked questions: who is entitled to own property in Dubai, Dubai Land Department
- DIFC strengthens global family wealth hub status (DLD memorandum with the DIFC Family Wealth Centre, 19 November 2025), Dubai International Financial Centre
- Family businesses, foundations and structures (Foundations Law, DIFC Law No. 3 of 2018), Dubai International Financial Centre
- Dubai Land Department signs MoU with ADGM Registration Authority, 7 November 2018, Abu Dhabi Global Market
- Family offices, foundations and SPVs in ADGM, Abu Dhabi Global Market
- DLD strengthens ties with RAK government entities (agreement on RAK ICC and RAKEZ companies owning Dubai property), RAK International Corporate Centre
- RAK ICC Foundations, frequently asked questions (Foundations Regulations 2019, amended 31 July 2025), RAK International Corporate Centre
- How to set up an offshore company, Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority
- Wills FAQ, DIFC Courts Wills Service, DIFC Courts
General information, not legal or tax advice. Structures are incorporated by licensed corporate service providers and reviewed by your own lawyer, and the Dubai Land Department confirms the acceptance of each entity type at the time of registration. No fees or government charges are stated here; the registrars and the Department publish their own schedules.
Asset protection and structuring
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Prefer to talk now? Call +971 58 670 0664 or write to info@castilion-estates.com.
