Cedarwood Funeral Care

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about our services.

A death has just occurred. What should we do first?

If it happened at home, call the police on 999 before anything else; they attend, and an ambulance moves the deceased to a government hospital mortuary. If it happened in hospital, the ward issues the notification of death and holds the deceased there. Once either step is done, call us on +971 4 338 7420 and we take over the paperwork from that point.

What does a local burial cost?

A standard burial in Dubai, including coffin, preparation, mortuary release, transport and graveside arrangements, is AED 6,500 to AED 9,000. The cemetery plot fee is paid separately to the municipality and is currently AED 1,500 for a standard grave. We give you an itemised figure in writing before any work begins.

How does repatriation work and how long does it take?

Repatriation requires a death certificate, embalming, a sealed zinc-lined casket, a no-objection certificate from the deceased's embassy or consulate, and a cargo booking on a carrier that accepts human remains. From the moment we hold all the documents, most cases take three to five working days. Costs run from AED 9,500 to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines, and AED 16,000 to AED 26,000 for Europe, the Americas and Australia, depending on airline and destination airport.

What documents will you need from us?

The deceased's passport and Emirates ID, the hospital notification of death, and the passport of the next of kin who will sign. For a non-Muslim deceased we also need the visa cancellation once it is issued. If the death is under police investigation, the case number is required before the body can be released.

Do you arrange cremation?

Yes. Cremations are carried out at the Hindu Cremation Ground in Jebel Ali, which serves all non-Muslim communities. The full cremation service, including preparation, transport, the ceremony slot and an urn, is AED 4,200. Ashes are released the following day and we can prepare the airline paperwork if they are to be carried abroad.

Do you serve families of all faiths?

We do. We arrange Muslim burials at the municipality cemeteries, Christian burials at the Christian Cemetery in Al Quoz, Hindu and Sikh cremations at Jebel Ali, and non-religious services. We coordinate with your priest, imam, pandit or celebrant, or we can suggest one if you do not have someone.

What are your hours?

The office in Jebel Ali is open Sunday to Thursday from 8:00am to 6:00pm and Saturday from 9:00am to 1:00pm. The telephone is answered by a member of staff at all other times, including nights and public holidays. For a Muslim burial, which usually takes place within twenty-four hours, call rather than wait for office hours.

May we see the deceased before the funeral?

Yes. Viewings are held in a private room at the mortuary and take about thirty minutes. We book the slot with the mortuary and a member of our staff is present throughout. There is no charge for a viewing arranged as part of a funeral we are handling.

How is payment handled, and will insurance cover it?

We invoice after the arrangement meeting, and payment is due before the funeral or before the casket is released for a flight. We accept bank transfer and card. Many employers and life insurance policies in the UAE cover repatriation in full; if you tell us the insurer, we bill them directly where they permit it and you pay nothing upfront.