Tourists Can Now Officially Tie The Knot In Abu Dhabi
Hearing wedding bells? The laws have been amended and the news is finally out that tourists visiting the capital can in fact get married!
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD), on Sunday issued decision No. 8 of 2022 approving the regulations for the implementation of the Civil Marriage and Divorce Law No. 14 of 2020 in Abu Dhabi.
Also Read: Important New Marriage And Divorce Laws For Non-Muslims Introduced In Abu Dhabi
Tourists and those who do not reside in the UAE can get married under the new law, according to WAM
Mansour bin Zayed Approves the Regulations of Civil Marriage and Divorce Law for Foreigners in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi pic.twitter.com/TlNZ5XCTmZ
— دائرة القضاء-أبوظبي (@ADJD_Official) February 6, 2022
The new regulations also include new divorce laws and custody of children
Youssef Saeed Al Abri, Undersecretary of Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, stated that the new “regulations encompass all the details pertaining to the organisation of legal proceedings under the Civil Marriage and Divorce Law in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.”
The regulations consist of 52 articles that deal with the jurisdiction of the Civil Family Court, including civil marriage, divorce, joint custody of children, financial rights from divorce, wills, civil inheritance, proof of parentage, adoption, and other foreign nationals’ personal status issues.
The law allows both husband and wife to divorce without the need to prove harm was done in the marriage and both parties can apply. Previously, if harm was not proven to the court, divorce would not be granted. This also means no consent from the wife’s family will be required.
Divorce among expats can be granted at the first hearing without the need for family guidance department and couples who choose to separate will no longer need to go through mandatory reconciliation sessions. In the events of a divorce, the financial rights of the wife will be measured on the number of years of marriage, age of the wife, economic standing of each other spouses and other factors.
As for custody of children, it’ll be shared equally among the parents to preserve the psychological health of the child or children.
