POAS Podcast – Episode 13

Welcome back to the POA’s desk.

In the last episode we covered remote notarisation. In this episode we cover bilingual drafting — the requirement that every UAE POA must be prepared in both English and Arabic, and what makes a translation legally sufficient rather than just literally accurate.

The principle is straightforward. Arabic is the official language of the UAE. Government authorities, courts, and the Dubai Land Department operate in Arabic. So any legal document submitted to them must be in Arabic. Many principals are not Arabic speakers, so the document is also prepared in English so the principal can understand and sign with full informed consent.

This means every POA we draft has two versions. An English version. An Arabic version. The two versions must say the same thing. And in any conflict between them, the Arabic version is the version that the authorities will rely on.

That last point is the one that matters most. The Arabic version is the binding version. So if the translation is wrong, the document is wrong. The English version may say one thing, the Arabic version says another, and the authorities will enforce what the Arabic version says. This is why translation quality is not a polish step. It is the central legal step.

What makes a translation legally sufficient. The translator must be licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice. Not any translator. Not a friend who speaks Arabic. Not a free online translation tool. A court-licensed translator whose translations are accepted by the relevant authorities. Their seal and signature are part of the document’s validity.

Beyond licensing, the translator must understand legal language. POA wording is technical. Powers must be translated precisely. A small wording change in Arabic can shift the legal meaning significantly. “To sign on my behalf” and “to sign in my name” sound similar in English but can have different implications in Arabic legal usage. The translator must know which precise term applies.

There are also formatting requirements. The Arabic version is typically the right-hand or upper portion of the document. The English version is the left-hand or lower portion. The two versions must be aligned section by section. The translator’s seal and signature must appear on the Arabic version. The notary’s stamp covers both versions simultaneously.

A common mistake we see. Principals draft a POA in English and ask for a “translation” as an afterthought. This produces a document where the English version is the considered version and the Arabic is a hurried rendering. The result is often a translation that is technically accurate but legally weak, missing the precise terms the authority will look for.

Another common mistake. Principals use a generic translation that does not name the specific authority or the specific transaction. The Arabic must be drafted for the receiving authority. A POA for the Dubai Land Department uses the DLD’s preferred Arabic terminology. A POA for a bank uses the bank’s preferred Arabic terminology. A generic Arabic translation may pass the notary but be questioned at the authority.

A third common mistake. Principals assume the English and Arabic versions are checked against each other automatically. They are not, unless the drafter takes that step. We verify the Arabic against the English at POAS before notarisation, because once the document is notarised, fixing a translation error means a full re-draft and re-notarisation.

Specific terms to flag. “Property” in legal Arabic has different terms depending on whether it refers to land, building, or unit. “Sale” has different verb forms depending on whether it is voluntary, distressed, or court-ordered. “Sign” has different terms depending on whether it is for execution of a contract, witness signature, or attestation. The translator must select the right term for the specific context.

At POAS the bilingual drafting is built into the fixed fee. We use court-licensed translators. We verify the Arabic against the English. We confirm the receiving authority’s preferred terminology. The notarised PDF you receive has both languages, properly aligned, with the translator’s seal and the notary’s stamp covering both versions.

In Episode 14 we cover the most common reasons POAs get rejected, and how to avoid them.

I’m Patrick. Thanks for joining me at the POA’s desk.