UAE Tenancy and Property Terms: Arabic–English
Why Tenancy and Property Terms Trip People Up
This glossary of UAE tenancy and property terms in Arabic and English covers renting, buying, off-plan purchases and rental disputes, with the Arabic used on Dubai and Abu Dhabi documents and a note on each term. It is meant for tenants, landlords, buyers and agents who sign bilingual forms and want to know what the Arabic says.
Two things make literal translation risky here. Many terms are names of systems or bodies that differ by emirate: Ejari is Dubai’s tenancy registration system, Tawtheeq is Abu Dhabi’s, and Sharjah has its own rental regulation department. Translating them as generic words ("registration", "documentation") hides which authority is involved. And Arabic property law has its own concepts, such as العين المؤجرة (the leased premises) or حق المساطحة (musataha), that have no single everyday English word.
Where an Arabic copy of the lease is needed, for example some Rental Disputes Center filings in Dubai, the terms below are the ones a translator will use.
Renting: Contract and Registration
| English term | Arabic (UAE usage) | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| Landlord | المؤجر / المالك | المؤجر is the party to the lease; he may not be the owner (المالك) if he is an agent or sub-landlord. |
| Tenant | المستأجر | Keep the tenant’s name exactly as in the passport or trade licence. |
| Tenancy contract / lease | عقد الإيجار | Dubai uses a standard form, often called the unified tenancy contract (عقد الإيجار الموحد). |
| Leased premises / property | العين المؤجرة | A fixed legal phrase. "The rented eye" is a machine error that still appears. |
| Ejari (Dubai) | إيجاري | Dubai’s tenancy contract registration system. Keep the name; add "registration" if needed. Registration is needed to connect utilities. |
| Tawtheeq (Abu Dhabi) | توثيق | Abu Dhabi’s lease registration system, where the landlord registers the lease. |
| Annual rent | القيمة الإيجارية السنوية / بدل الإيجار | Check figures and words match; note whether VAT applies (commercial leases). |
| Security deposit | مبلغ التأمين | Not ضمان in the warranty sense. |
| Post-dated cheques | شيكات مؤجلة | Number and dates of cheques are often listed in the contract. |
| Renewal | تجديد العقد | Automatic renewal and changes to terms usually require notice under local law. |
| Rent increase / rental index | زيادة الإيجار / مؤشر الإيجارات | In Dubai increases are linked to the official rental index; check current rules with RERA. |
| Sublease | التأجير من الباطن | Usually needs the landlord’s written consent. |
| Maintenance (major / minor) | الصيانة (الرئيسية / البسيطة) | Who pays for what is a frequent dispute; translate the split exactly. |
Ending a Lease and Disputes
| English term | Arabic (UAE usage) | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| Eviction | الإخلاء | Eviction claim: دعوى إخلاء. |
| Eviction / non-renewal notice | إخطار بالإخلاء | In Dubai such notices are typically served through a notary public or registered mail; the required period depends on the ground and the law. |
| Notary public | الكاتب العدل | Notarised notice: إخطار عن طريق الكاتب العدل. |
| Registered mail | البريد المسجل | Keep the tracking number in the translation. |
| Handover / vacating | تسليم العين المؤجرة / الإخلاء | A handover or move-out inspection report is محضر استلام / تسليم. |
| Rental Disputes Center (Dubai) | مركز فض المنازعات الإيجارية | Part of the Dubai Land Department. Claims usually need a current Ejari copy. |
| Rent Dispute Settlement Committee (Abu Dhabi) | لجنة فض المنازعات الإيجارية | Name the emirate; there is no single national rental court. |
| Rental Regulation Department (Sharjah) | إدارة تنظيم الإيجارات | Part of Sharjah Municipality. |
| Amicable settlement | التسوية الودية | The RDC has an amicable-settlement route before a full case. |
| Payment order (rent) | أمر أداء | A fast route for unpaid rent backed by documents. |
Buying: Ownership and Off-Plan
| English term | Arabic (UAE usage) | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| Title deed | سند الملكية | Issued by the land department; see title deed translation. |
| Freehold | التملك الحر | Full ownership in designated areas. |
| Usufruct | حق الانتفاع | Right to use and benefit for a period, not ownership. |
| Musataha | حق المساطحة | Right to build on and use another’s land for a period. Keep the Arabic name in brackets. |
| Off-plan | على الخريطة | Sold before completion. |
| Oqood (Dubai) | عقود | DLD system for registering off-plan sales (an interim register). The name literally means "contracts"; do not translate it as such. |
| Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) | اتفاقية البيع والشراء | The main purchase contract with the developer. |
| Memorandum of Understanding (Form F) | مذكرة التفاهم (النموذج F) | The Dubai standard form for resale between buyer and seller. |
| Developer | المطوّر العقاري | Developer’s NOC: شهادة عدم ممانعة من المطوّر. |
| Escrow account | حساب الضمان | Holds buyers’ payments for an off-plan project. |
| Handover (of a unit) | تسليم الوحدة | Snagging list: قائمة الملاحظات / العيوب قبل الاستلام. |
| Mortgage | الرهن العقاري | Mortgagor الراهن, mortgagee المرتهن. |
| Real estate broker | الوسيط العقاري | Commission: العمولة. |
Communities, Authorities and Charges
| English term | Arabic (UAE usage) | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Land Department (DLD) | دائرة الأراضي والأملاك | Registers property and leases in Dubai. |
| RERA | مؤسسة التنظيم العقاري | Real Estate Regulatory Agency, DLD’s regulatory arm. Keep the acronym. |
| Jointly owned property | العقارات المشتركة / الملكية المشتركة | Buildings with common areas owned by all unit owners. |
| Owners association | جمعية الملاك | Manages the common areas. |
| Service charges | رسوم الخدمات | Annual charges for common areas; not "service fees" for a single service. |
| Common areas | الأجزاء المشتركة | Lobbies, pools, lifts. |
| No Objection Certificate (NOC) | شهادة عدم ممانعة | Name the issuer (developer, bank, landlord). |
Common Mistakes With Tenancy and Property Terms
- Translating system names. Ejari, Tawtheeq and Oqood are names. "Contracts" for عقود (Oqood) confuses everyone.
- One word for deposit, guarantee and insurance. مبلغ التأمين is the security deposit; التأمين alone can mean insurance.
- Unit numbers and plot numbers retyped wrongly. Copy them from the source; do not convert them.
- Owner and landlord treated as the same person. On a sublease or a managed property they may not be.
- Generic "court" for rental bodies. Name the Rental Disputes Center or the relevant committee of each emirate.
What is Ejari in Arabic and English?
إيجاري is Dubai’s system for registering tenancy contracts. In English it is written Ejari and kept as a name; registration is needed to connect utilities.
What is the Abu Dhabi equivalent of Ejari?
Tawtheeq (توثيق), Abu Dhabi’s lease registration system. The landlord registers the lease there.
What does العين المؤجرة mean in a lease?
The leased premises, meaning the flat, villa, shop or office being rented. It is a fixed legal phrase, not a literal "rented eye".
Is Oqood the same as a title deed?
No. Oqood registers an off-plan sale before completion; the title deed (سند الملكية) is issued for the completed property.
Do I need my tenancy contract translated for the Rental Disputes Center?
Some RDC services list the lease with an Arabic translation. Check the service you are filing and see our RDC documents guide.
How much does it cost to translate a tenancy contract or SPA?
Arabic⇄English legal translation is AED 60 per 200-word page (excl. VAT), with same-day delivery available for many documents. Standard tenancy contracts are usually short; SPAs are longer and are priced by word count.
How SWLT Helps
We translate tenancy contracts, SPAs, title deeds, NOCs and rental dispute papers between Arabic and English. See real estate document translation and legal translation in the UAE.
Disclaimer
This glossary is a language reference, not legal advice. The right Arabic or English term always depends on the context of the document, the governing law and the authority that will read it, and laws, forms and official terminology change. For advice on your rights or obligations, consult a lawyer licensed in the UAE; for a document you will submit, use a licensed legal translator. Tenancy rules differ by emirate; check current requirements with the Dubai Land Department, the Abu Dhabi authority or your municipality.
Get Your Property Documents Translated
Send us the lease, SPA or title deed and tell us which authority or bank will receive it. Smart World Legal Translation – Sole Proprietorship L.L.C. (SWLT) is a UAE Ministry of Justice-licensed legal translation company in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, led by Dr. Hani Elimam. Our federal accreditation is accepted across the UAE, including by Dubai Courts, and we hold exclusive interpretation contracts with the UAE Federal Courts and the Federal Public Prosecution. Arabic⇄English legal translation is AED 60 per 200-word page (excl. VAT), with same-day delivery available for many documents. Send us the document on WhatsApp (+971 50 864 8439), email info@swlt.ae, or use our contact page.