On request to the office of the Director General of Dubai Courts, Dr. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, the office answered that, in principle, as per UAE Civil law The estate of the deceased is subject to the law that applies to this latter at the time of his death. The office also adds that it is not possible to apply rules that "are contrary to Islamic Sharia or to public order or to morality in the United Arab Emirates. Indeed, the Emirates private law provides that Sharia law is applicable to the citizens of the United Arab Emirates except those who are non Muslim and have rules specific to their religion. The Sharia law is equally applicable to those who are not citizens insofar as none of them seeks to apply his own legislation.

Therefore, upon demise of a foreign national owning assets, should any of the heirs wish to apply the law of the deceased for the distribution of the estate, then the law of the deceased is the law that should be applied. However, the two following conditions should also be met:

1.       One of the heirs should request application of the law of the deceased

2.       None of the heirs should be a Muslim or a UAE citizen,

Should one of the heirs be a Muslim or a UAE citizen, then the applicable law would have to be the Emirati law, i.e. Islamic Sharia.

It appears from the above that if the foreign national is a Muslim then it is not the foreign law that would apply but UAE law as the application of foreign law in determining the portions of Muslim heirs might result in a division that is contrary to Sharia.

When requested to provide guidance on the application of a will, the office responded that if there is unanimous consent amongst the heirs regarding it, then it may be applied by the courts based on the agreement between the heirs. If there is a dispute amongst the heirs in connection with the will, then the matter is transferred to the relevant Civil Court to judge the dispute. The governing law will be that of the foreign deceaseds country if he was a resident/national of that country at the time the will was made and provided the heirs request the application of that law.

For those who have not had the presence of mind to draft a will or who expect that their families could experience some difficulties in the decision making process after their demise, the creation of an offshore company could solve the immediate problems arising in the aftermath. An long-term estate planning solution such as a  Trust or a Foundation (Bahamas, Panama or Jersey rather than Liechtenstein) remains the best solution where affordable.

 

I thought this to be an interesting read.. the person who posted in another forum will remain un-reachable for the vast majority of those reading this.. as for the few that are of a certain quality... I will happily (and freely) pass on the information of the person. This is not the first good bit of information passed on by this person and I doubt it will be the last. G_Kid you may find that a Jersey (Isle, I just like typing that word for some reason.. sorry) Trust found to be investing in say the Doha project would be in 100% plus plus plus range for conservative returns (without blending in any Tax benefits).

It was pointed out to me (time and time again) that my personal opinion severly lacked from the 3rd party sourceable information I provide..

So.. I hope the above information may be helpful to someone lacking direction. Please consult with your legal and other advisors before running out and executing on my say so.

http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/5202549.article

http://web.mit.edu/akpia/www/course4617spring09poster.pdf

http://www.gulfconstructionworldwide.com/pages/article.aspx?aid=10861

http://iloveqatar.net/

The architecture is in line with the existing or surrounding structures. The architecture is true to the local, thus providing a texture to the visitor(s). I like the Project based on where the market is in its cyclical swing. I like the leverage available to finance the investment from anyone and / or multiple positions. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

This is my opinion. Of course I had to provide some background to make it easy for any or everyone.

 

JW      

 

 

 

A little more for you to review.

 

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Heart of Doha - Key Facts and Figures

 

 

Development
Project Title:	Heart of Doha
Developer:	DOHALAND
Period of Realization:	2008 2016
Project Location:	Location: The new Heart of Doha will connect the citys past with its future. The city centre will become a hub of activity once again and a place where it is enjoyable to live, work, shop, visit and spend time with family and friends.   The site comprises approximately 35 hectares within Mohamed Bin Jassim District, bordered by: Al Rayyan Road to the North Jassim Bin Mohamed Street to the East Mushreib Street to the South ; and Al Diwan Street (part of Ring Road A) to the West   Most significantly, the Heart of Doha site is immediately adjacent to the Emiri Diwan, Qatars seat of government and rulers palace. The project makes provision for additional palace office and guards facilities. The site is adjacent to the newly redeveloped Souk Waqif, a successful mixed-use scheme based on a traditional souk, and Al Koot Fort.
Master Plan
Site Area:	35 hectares
No of buildings:	226*
Building Height Range:	3 - 30 Storeys*
Basement Levels:	2 - 5 Levels*
Car parking spaces:	13,700*
Area of Parks and Open Spaces (sqm):	122,217**
Total Project GFA (sqm):	760,000*
Project Highlights:
	National Archive: High security is achieved without compromising public accessibility. Vehicular servicing, below ground under Masat Street. Theatre and Museum: A theatre Auditorium will provide a target capacity of between 500-700 people Hotels: Three type of Hotels are provided as follows: A.            Lifestyle Hotel ·         Location: Barahat Al- Naseem, 175-225 rooms, target room size: 90-95 sqm gross per room ·         Luxury serviced apartments- 110sqm gross per room B.      Luxury Hotel- 5*+ ·         Location: Masajid Square and Bin Thani Square, 225-300 rooms, room size: 90-95 sqm gross per room. C.  Business Hotels- 5*+ ·          Location: Nakheel Square, 250 rooms, room size : 85-90 sqm gross Education: Primary School total GFA is 5,522 sqm Location- Al Kahraba North The Primary school will provide a target capacity of 300 students.     Heritage: The Mohamed Heritage Quarter lies to the east of the Heart of Doha, between the Diwan Quarter and Musheireb Place. It spills out to the main site to cross Jassim Bin Mohamed Street and engages with Souk Waqif and the Fort. It is a cultural destination built on the heritage of existing buildings while potentially incorporating modern museums, Islamic gardens, and art galleries.  The heritage quarter comprises: Abdullah Bin Qassim House Jalmood House Company House Mohamed Bin Jassim House   Eid Musala Ground   Infrastructure: Dedicated below grade servicing for heavy goods vehicles Purpose built under road service-ways Centralized District Cooling Proposed gas network Vacuum Waste Disposal system (ENVAC)*** Dedicated Cycle-way Full system redundancy Centralized security / ICT
Project Population:	27,637
LEED Rating:	The entire development will target Average Gold ratings.
Public Transportation Systems:	Dedicated Tramway connected to proposed future light and heavy rail links.  Connectivity to Souk Wakif currently under study

 

 

*               All referenced figures are subject to change as the project planning process continues to progress

**             Excludes public rights of way.            

***            Under study

 

Forgot this one... sorry..

 

http://www.dohaland.com/HOD/index.html

http://www.ameinfo.com/205227.html

Doha Tribeca Film Festival announces leadership

Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) today announced key members of the team heading up the inaugural 2009 Festival.