Dubai Law No. (17) of 2025 Concerning Disposition of Lost and Abandoned Property

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is reputed widely for providing its residents with an opulent lifestyle. The country, since its foundation, has systematically materialized this through a planned structure of strict governance, adequate infrastructural and economic planning, and rewarding and penalizing actions as required.^[1]

The government and its executive authorities have continued to lead the global innovation race, investing in the country’s development and being the first in the world to implement new technologies.^[2] The unwavering administration, combined with the availability of a skilled workforce and investors, allows the country, especially Dubai, to gain global traction in almost every field.

One of the biggest contributors to the much-pined-after lifestyle attracting other nationals to come to the UAE arises from the freedom residents get from the assurance of safety. The country, specifically Dubai, has always maintained some of the lowest crime rates in the world.^[3] Despite global or geopolitical turmoil in the region, impermeable foreign affairs ensure minimal disturbance in domestic social stability.

One of the biggest contributors to such high standards of safety in the country is undeniably the legislation and law enforcement. The UAE has always framed its laws in a way that focuses on reform, both positive reinforcement and penalizing unlawful behaviour. Not shying away from harsher punishments^[4], especially punitive consequences, help shape society into a collective yet individual-run machine. The Laws keep societies safe by transferring responsibility to their people, creating good Samaritans.

The new Law No. 17 of 2025 – Concerning Disposition of Lost and Abandoned Property in the Emirate of Dubai, announced in the Official Gazette on 25^th of November 2025, annuls any conflicting provisions in theDubai Law No. (5) of 2015 on the Disposal of Lost and Abandoned Property and prevails as the primary legislation on this matter. It was also established that this legislation will take precedence in a matter of conflict with any other relevant law.^[5]

The Legislation mainly draws on the refurbished rights and responsibilities of the Dubai Police, Owner, and Finder of the property. It further clarifies Lost v. Abandoned Property and how the processing of such goods differs. Lost property includes money or movable items that were accidentally lost in Dubai. Abandoned property, however, is items intentionally left behind that the owner has clearly or impliedly given up, left in public places, airports, stations, ports, government, or private premises.

What does this mean for residents?

If you are a finder of lost property, you must –

• Register the lost item online with Dubai Police within 24 hours
• Hand it over to the Dubai Police within 48 hours
• Do not use, sell, or keep the item with the intention of becoming its owner as this can attract criminal liability
• Cooperate with Dubai Police if they contact you and follow any additional instructions issued by them

On acting honestly, you may also be entitled to receive a certificate of appreciation, or a reward of 10% of the item’s value, capped at AED 50,000. You can still retain this once the goods have been reclaimed.

If you wish to keep the lost item, you can do so only after a year if the owner isn’t found and due process is followed as issued by the Dubai Police. In the off chance that the owner is later found, the property must be returned regardless.

If you lose property in Dubai, you have the right to reclaim it from the police before it is disposed of. In the case that it has, you can claim the sale proceeds within 3 years. As per the law, these are the procedures the police must follow regarding your lost property –

• The police must retain your lost property for at least 3 months, after which it can be sold
• Sale proceeds are held in a trust, however if you do not claim it, the money goes to the Government treasury
• On reclaiming it, you must pay all storage, announcement, or administrative costs for which the police’s evaluation is final and binding
• If your lost item contains personal photos or private information, the police are required to handle it discreetly, and it will be destroyed if unclaimed
• If any ownership dispute arises, only a court’s final judgment will decide ownership.

If you leave property behind deliberately, the police have the right to dispose of, sell, or donate it after 60 days. No public announcement for the same will be made, and you lose the right to reclaim the property or its sale proceeds. This includes your goods that are left at airports due to travel restrictions.

If you find abandoned property, your responsibilities remain somewhat similar. Further, no reward is guaranteed for abandoned property.

As a resident, some penalties you should be aware of include failure to register or surrender lost property, ignoring police instructions, or unlawfully retaining lost items. Doing such activities can attract fines ranging from AED 500 to 200,000 alongside additional criminal or civil liability.

Therefore, the provisions of Dubai Law No 17 of 2025 helped restructure accountability for all parties regarding lost property in the Emirate.

[1] Jeremy J. Kingsley & Melinda Heap, Dubai: Creating a Global Legal Platform?, 20 Melb. J. Int’l L. 277 (2019).

[2] Yousif Al-Ansari, Mahmoud Altalib & Mohammed Sardoh, Technology Orientation, Innovation and Business Performance: A Study of Dubai SMEs, 3 Int’l Tech. Mgmt. Rev. 1, 1 (2013).

[3] Sofie Nilsson & Bryans Mukasa, Global Cities of Tomorrow: The Rise of Dubai and Its Place in the Future Global City Landscape 15 (Jan. 9, 2015).

[4] Eric Halford, What Makes the United Arab Emirates Safe: A Call for Increased Criminological Examination, 30 Educ. Admin. Theory & Prac. 5782, 5785 (2024).

[5] The Government of Dubai Media Office, ‘Mohammed bin Rashid issues Law on the handling of lost and abandoned property in Dubai’, (2025) accessed 16 January 2026

Can ownership rights be lost despite ascertaining ownership of the article after the alleged theft or loss?

Yes. Failure to claim the lost item or the sale proceeds within the stipulated time frames prescribed by law means that the owner can lose his or her right to the item, and the sale proceeds can end up in the government treasury despite being shown to belong to the owner later on.

FAQs