Glossary & framework library

Stamp duty

Legal & Title

Reference

A government tax levied on the execution of certain legal documents such as sale or lease agreements; rates vary widely across Gulf and African jurisdictions and are a real cost in deal budgeting.

Related terms

  • Statutory land tenure

    Rights to land created and governed by written law and formal registration, as opposed to customary tenure; the basis of most Gulf and urban African freehold a…

  • Title

    The legal evidence of ownership of a property and the rights attached to it.

  • Title deed

    The official document recording ownership of a property.

  • Title insurance

    A policy indemnifying an owner or lender against loss from defects in title, undisclosed liens, or registration errors; common in the US but rare in Gulf and A…

  • Transfer fee

    A charge payable to the land authority on registering a change of ownership, often a percentage of price; Dubai Land Department's 4% and Egypt's registration l…

  • Vendee

    The buyer of a property under a sale contract; the counterparty to the vendor.

  • Vendor

    The seller of a property under a sale contract.

  • Adverse possession

    Acquisition of title by occupying land openly and continuously for a statutory period without the owner's objection; recognised in Egyptian civil law (hiyaza)…