Sharjah Moves Ahead With New Rules for Lost and Abandoned Property

Sharjah is working on clearer rules for how lost and abandoned property should be handled across the emirate, from receiving and protecting it to returning it to the rightful owner.

The draft law was reviewed by the Sharjah Executive Council on 15 September 2026 and will now go to the Sharjah Consultative Council for further discussion.

The idea is fairly simple. Authorities would have a proper process for receiving and safely holding lost property, identifying its owner and returning it where possible. If nobody claims it, there would be a legal process for what happens next.

It’s still a draft law, though. Sharjah hasn’t yet confirmed retention periods, penalties, disposal procedures or when the rules would come into effect.

It comes as Sharjah continues to grow and update its government services and regulations. That growth is particularly visible in property, with AED 29.5 billion in real estate transactions during the first half of 2026, up 9.3% year – on-year.

With major new residential communities such as Azizi Florence also becoming part of Sharjah’s changing property landscape, the emirate is growing both physically and administratively.

The Sharjah Consultative Council will review the draft before it moves further through the legislative process. For now, nothing changes for residents or property owners.

The finer details, including how long property can be held, how it can be claimed and what happens when nobody comes forward, should become clearer once the final legislation is approved and published.