His Highness Sharjah Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, enacted Sharjah Law No. (2) of 2022 amending Sharjah Law No. (5) of 2010 on real estate registration.
The text of Article (4) of Law No. (5) of 2010 should be changed with the following text, according to the law:
The right to own real estate in the emirate is restricted to UAE nationals and citizens of the Cooperation Council for Arab States of the Gulf, with the exception that the right may be extended to foreigners under the following conditions:
- Ownership with the Ruler’s permission.
- Transferring by legal notice through inheritance.
- Assignment by the owner to one of his first-degree relatives in line with the provisions of this law’s executive rules.
- Ownership in real estate development regions and projects in compliance with Council laws.
Long-term leases are exclusively available to foreigners.
According to Executive Council Resolution No. 26 of 2014 Regarding the Usufruct of Real Estate Properties in the Emirate of Sharjah (in Arabic), foreign nationals and companies owned by foreign nationals in the UAE do not have the right to own, but they do have the right of usufruct for a period of up to 100 years after registering such right with the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department (SRERD)
The bill also stated that the following phrase will replace the text of Article (7) of Law No. (5) of 2010:
A legal person who possesses real estate in the emirate must follow the following rules, according to the stipulations of Article No. (4) of this Law:
- Notify the Real Estate Registration Department of any change in the legal person’s ownership that would result in a drop or rise in the partners’ shares, a transfer of ownership, or a change in its legal form or trade name.
- Correcting the erroneous situation in the case of adding a partner or transferring ownership to those who are not authorized to hold real estate in the Emirate.