General vs Special Power of Attorney in the UAE — Which One Do You Need?

The single most common mistake we see is people executing a General POA when a Special POA would have protected them better. A General POA gives the agent sweeping authority across most legal matters, while a Special POA limits the agent strictly to defined acts.

When to Use a General POA

Long absences from the UAE, trusted family members, or wide-ranging affairs where listing every possible act would be impractical.

When to Use a Special POA

One-off transactions — selling a specific property, attending a specific court date, opening a specific bank account, signing a single contract. Special POAs are safer because they cannot be misused beyond their stated scope.