# Marriage in the United Arab Emirates

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In the United Arab Emirates, marriage is governed by a combination of Islamic principles, local traditions, and legal regulations. Islamic marriages within the country are conducted according to Sharia law, where the groom and bride are both Muslims, or the bride is from 'Ahl Al-Kitaab', typically referring to Christianity or Judaism. Non-Muslim residents and visitors can marry through the UAE Personal Laws for non-Muslims or their respective religious or national laws.

## History

Historically, women across the Middle East typically married as teenagers or in their early 20s. Early marriage declined sharply in the 20th century—in the UAE, the percentage of women aged 15 to 19 who were married dropped from 57% in 1975 to 8% in 1995. In 2005, the average age of marriage for women with secondary or higher education was 27, while the average age for women with no education was 18. The same year, a report detailing attitudes towards marriage from mothers and their daughters found vast differences, with daughters reporting a desire to marry later in life, and to select their own husbands.
Emirati weddings were described as "opulent" affairs by the BBC in 1999, with as many as 1,000 guests. The same report found that as many as 80% of personal loans taken out by Emirati men were used for wedding expenses; as a result, many Emirati men opted to marry "less demanding" foreign women, known as "mixed marriages", which raised concerns of the potential dilution of Emiratis, an already minority population. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the country, launched a Marriage Fund in 1992 as a response, giving grooms £12,000 (equivalent to £26,266 in 2023) to help pay for wedding expenses, only if the bride is Emirati. The fund also enacted a fine of AED 500,000 ($140,000, equivalent to $270,082 in 2024) for spending too much money on weddings. The fund helped to marry 44,000 people as of 1999. The fund was amended in 2010 to remove the discouragement of mixed marriages, citing personal freedom. In 2024, the "Medeem Model for Women's Weddings" programme was launched, designed to help couples have less expensive weddings that were instead based on Emirati traditions.
Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum Al Maktoum announced the addition of a 10-day marriage leave for Emirati couples in 2025, as part of the initiative to double Emirati households in Dubai by 2033. Since January 2025, genetic testing is compulsory for all Emirati couples planning to wed, as part of the premarital screening programme. The requirement for genetic testing is attributed to the high prevalence of genetic disorders within the native population, linked to the 39% consanguineous marriage rate. A study for the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction found that the key factor for women being in consanguineous marriages was pressure from families; furthermore, all participants in the study appeared to believe such marriages were inscribed in Emirati culture.
In 2022, 1,500 guests, including high-ranking Emirati officials and foreign ambassadors from over 20 countries, attended the wedding of Rabbi Levi Duchman and Lea Hadad. The wedding was the largest Jewish event in the country's history.

## Law

The minimum age to marry in the United Arab Emirates is 18. Despite this, a 2015 report by the United Nations found that the percentage of girls under 18 being married was steadily increasing. Under the UAE's Personal Status Law, a woman can marry if she consents; if her guardian is deemed to unjustly oppose the union, the court may transfer guardianship. The law also eliminated the need for a guardian's consent if the national law of a non-citizen Muslim woman does not require it for entering into a marriage contract. Women in "mixed-marriages", meaning a marriage to a non-Emirati, have been able to pass down their nationality to their children since 2011, considered a first in Gulf countries.

### Islamic marriage

Islamic marriages in the UAE are governed by Sharia law, where either both the groom and bride are Muslims, or the bride belongs to 'Ahl Al-Kitaab,' a term typically referring to followers of Christianity or Judaism. The marriage must be registered in a Sharia court within the country. A marriage application may be denied if either party has an inheritable blood disease or a transferrable disease. The advance dowry in a marriage is not allowed to be more than AED 20,000 and the deferred dowry should not be more than AED 30,000.
Polygamy, the act of marrying multiple spouses, is legal for Muslim males. A man may have up to four wives at a time. A study by the Khaleej Times found that 70% of people in polygamous unions in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah were not Emirati. The study also found that an increasing number of women have become vocally opposed to the practice, believing it negatively affects stability in the family dynamic. The rates of polygamy in the country have been steadily declining, and was one of the leading causes of divorce initiated by women in 2013.

### Non-Muslims

Non-Muslim residents and visitors in the United Arab Emirates can marry either through the UAE Personal Laws for non-Muslims, or their respective religious or national laws. The United Arab Emirates introduced a civil law in Abu Dhabi allowing for marriages, divorces, and obtaining joint child custody for non-Muslims in 2021, and was extended to include the entire country in 2023. The law amendment reportedly came after attempts to modernize the law and make it more inclusive. Prior to this, marriage was to be conducted in the laws of the spouses' respective native countries, and civil matters were governed by Sharia law. Residents of the United Arab Emirates have an option to follow the application process in their native country or perform a civil marriage in the United Arab Emirates. Within the first year of the law change, more than 5,000 marriages within a civil court were recorded, 12% of couples being tourists. This percentage is attributed to residents of nearby countries that do not permit civil marriages. In one instance, a secular Israeli couple registered marriage in the UAE civil court for this reason.
Article 5 of Federal Decree Law No. 41 of 2022 on Civil Personal Status provides five criteria for a civil marriage to occur: Both spouses must be at least 21 years old, not closely related, and must provide their consent to the marriage. They are also required to sign a disclosure form and comply with any additional conditions specified in the implementing regulations of the decree. The law took effect on 1 February 2023.

### Same-sex marriage

Same-sex marriage is not legal nor recognized in the United Arab Emirates. The UAE's Federal Penal Code allows for capital punishment as a legal penalty for homosexuality under Sharia law. Dubai's Penal Code allows for imprisonment of up to ten years, while Abu Dhabi's Penal Code allows imprisonment of up to 14 years. Same-sex sexual relations are illegal, and expressing support for LGBTQ+ rights is deemed as an offence.

## Divorce

Divorce in the UAE is regulated by Federal Law No. 28 of 2005. Divorce for Muslims is based on Sharia law. Either of the married couple is allowed to pursue a divorce, with Federal Decree-Law No. (41) of 2022 giving equality to both men and women. Though divorce is legal and allowed under Sharia law, it is mostly opposed against amongst Emiratis for cultural reasons. Data collected for the International Journal of Women's Studies found that divorce is considered a social stigma in the UAE, especially for women. Despite this, divorce rates in the country have been considered high, with a 2009 report by the Juma'a al Majid Centre for Culture and Heritage estimating that one in three Emirati marriages ended in a divorce. Divorce rates were consistently between 50-65% between 2005 and 2008.

### Child custody

Custody terminates at the age of 18 for both males and females; previously, it was 11 for boys and 13 for girls. Children have the right to choose their preferred parent for residence once they reach the age of 15. If the mother is non-Muslim while the child is Muslim, this is decided by the court's discretion, prioritising a child's interest; prior to this, the country terminated custody for non-Muslim mothers once the child turned 5. The Personal Status Law introduced penalties, including imprisonment and fines ranging from AED 5,000 to 100,000, for offences related to the custody of children, including unauthorized travel with a child and the mismanagement or seizing of inheritance.