Signing a power of attorney in Saudi Arabia for use in the UAE
The UAE Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General in Jeddah publish the same requirement: a power of attorney must be signed before a notary or legal authority in Saudi Arabia, then attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, before the UAE will attest it. The UAE attestation is one online application covering the mission and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the original document is still collected by courier.
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What the UAE missions in Saudi Arabia require
Both missions carry the same wording: "Legal documents (e.g., powers of attorney) must be signed before a local notary or legal authority in Saudi Arabia, then attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia." Documents issued in Saudi Arabia "must be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" before the UAE mission acts.
The Riyadh page describes the result as "One service, two attestations: One application covers both the UAE Embassy in Riyadh and the UAE MoFA in the United Arab Emirates", and says digitally attested documents "are legally recognized within the UAE". Jeddah publishes the same for the Consulate General.
The published application is online, with the paper still moving: "The original physical document is required for the digital attestation process", and a MOFA-approved service provider collects it and returns it by courier.
- Log in to the UAE MOFA website with UAE Pass and select the Attestation Service.
- Choose the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the country of issuance.
- Complete the application and pay.
- A MOFA-approved service provider collects the original document.
- The digitally attested document arrives by email, certified by the mission and by UAE MOFA.
- The original is returned by courier.
The counter is closed: Riyadh is online only
The Embassy in Riyadh published an announcement headed "Announcement: all our attestation services are now available online only". Anyone planning to hand a document over in person should read that first.
Jeddah publishes the same digital route for documents issued in Saudi Arabia. Neither mission publishes an attestation fee for a power of attorney, so none is quoted here.
The route side by side
Two authorities, one after the other, and neither publishes the other one.
| Step | Who does it | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Signing | A notary or legal authority in Saudi Arabia | UAE Embassy Riyadh; UAE Consulate General Jeddah |
| 2. Saudi attestation | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | Named by both UAE missions |
| 3. UAE attestation | The UAE mission and UAE MOFA, in one online application | UAE Embassy Riyadh |
Personal or commercial, and why it changes the file
Both missions state that "A power of attorney containing commercial content is considered a commercial document." UAE MOFA sorts the two the same way, listing a power of attorney of personal nature among individual documents and a general power of attorney of commercial nature among commercial ones.
A document letting someone sell your Dubai apartment and one letting them sign for your company are handled differently. Decide which you need before it is drafted.
What we could not verify on the Saudi side
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs website did not respond to us on 22 or 23 September 2026, from two separate networks. So the Saudi step on this page is described as the UAE missions publish it, and nothing is quoted from the Saudi ministry itself.
Before you start, confirm with the Saudi ministry which of its channels applies to your document, and whether the notarised deed needs any step before it reaches them.
What to settle in the UAE first
The Saudi steps authenticate a signature. Whether the powers inside are the right ones is decided here.
- Which UAE authority, bank or developer will act on the document.
- The exact powers your representative needs, in the wording that authority expects.
- Whether the receiving authority wants Arabic. MOFA accepts English or Arabic, or an official translation.
- That names and passport numbers match the passports exactly.
Questions
Can I attest a power of attorney at the UAE Embassy in Riyadh in person?
The Embassy announced that its attestation services are online only. The application is made through the UAE MOFA website and a service provider collects the original document.
Does the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs have to attest it first?
Yes, on what both UAE missions publish. They attest a Saudi-issued document only after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has done so.
Which mission, Riyadh or Jeddah?
Both publish attestation for documents issued in Saudi Arabia, with the same requirements. Neither publishes a split by region, so ask whichever you plan to use.
Does the power of attorney need to be in Arabic?
For attestation, MOFA asks for the document in English or Arabic, or an official translation. A Saudi notarised deed will usually already be in Arabic; a UAE authority may still want a translation of any English annexes.
What this page does not do
- No Saudi government source is quoted on this page. The Saudi ministry site was unreachable when it was written.
- Neither UAE mission publishes an attestation fee for a power of attorney.
- Whether the document is sufficient for a particular transaction is decided by the UAE authority that receives it.
- The Deedbox is not a law firm and not a notary. It does not legalise, apostille or attest documents, and does not act for anyone before a mission, a foreign ministry or a court.