Ownership & law
Usufruct
Usufruct is the right to use and enjoy a property, including collecting rent, for a long fixed term, without owning it.
A usufruct grants the holder use and benefit of a property, such as living in it or earning rental income, typically for a term of up to 99 years in Abu Dhabi, without transferring ownership of the asset itself. Unlike musataha, usufruct usually concerns existing property rather than the right to build, and the holder is generally expected to preserve the property's substance. It is one of the tenures available to expatriate investors in Abu Dhabi's designated zones alongside freehold, leasehold, and musataha.
Related terms
- Musataha — Musataha is a long-term right, typically up to 50 years and renewable, to build on and use another party's land.
- Leasehold — Leasehold is the right to use a property for a long fixed term, often up to 99 years, without owning the underlying land outright.
- Freehold — Freehold is outright, perpetual ownership of a property and its land, giving the owner the right to use, lease, sell, or bequeath it.
- Investment Zone — An investment zone is an Abu Dhabi area designated by law where expatriates and foreign investors can own property under freehold or other tenures.