Federal Law by Decree No (34) of 2023 Concerning Combating Discrimination, Hatred and Extremism (security and safety law)

Article (1) 
In applying the provisions of this Decree by Law, the following words and expressions  shall 
have the meanings assigned to each of them, unless the context otherwise requires:  
State  : The United Arab Emirates (UAE).  
 
Religions  : The Heavenly Religions, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.  
Houses of Worship  : Mosques, Churches and Temples.  
Blasphemy  : Every act that would insult Divine Essence, religions, prophets, 
messengers, divine books, or Houses of Worship in accordance with the provisions of this Decree by Law.  
Discrimination  : Any distinction, restriction, exclusion or preference betw een 
individuals or groups on the basis of religion, creed, sect, sect, race, 
colour, ethnic origin, gender or sex, taking into account the laws in Federal Law by Decree of 2023  Concerning Combating Discrimination, Hatred and Extremism  2 
 force in the State.  
Hate Speech  : Any statement or action that might incite discord, strife, or 
discrimination between individuals or groups.  
Extremism  : Any action carried out by one or more people or groups motivated 
by ideas, ideologies, values, or principles that would disrupt public order, or would express blasphemy, discriminate, or incite hate 
speech.  
Means  : Information network, communications networks, websites, 
industrial materials, information technology means, or any means of reading, audio, or visual.  
Methods of Expression  
: Speaking, writing, drawing, pointing, photographing, singing, acting, 
or gesturing.

Article (2)  
Without prejudice to any severer penalty stipulated in any other law, the crimes stated in this 
Law by Decree shall be punished with the penalties stipulated therein.

Article (3)  
Freedom of opinion and expression may not be inv oked to commit any statement or action that 
would incite blasphemy or harm them, in violation of the provisions of this Decree by Law.  
 
Section Two  
Crimes and Penalties

Article (4)  
1. Anyone who commits any of the following acts shall be deemed to have comm itted the 
crime of blasphemy:  
2. Slander, challenge, or insult the Divine Essence.  Federal Law by Decree of 2023  Concerning Combating Discrimination, Hatred and Extremism  3 
 3. Insult, defame, slander, mock or curse any of the religions or any of their rituals or sanctities, 
or disrupting the holding of licensed religious rituals or celebrations or disrupting them with 
violence or threats.  
4. Infringe on any of the divine books by distort, destroy, desecrate, or insult in any way.  
5. Insult, mock, defame, or curse one of the prophets, messengers, their wives, family, or companions.  
6. Destroy, damage, abuse hou ses of worship, cemeteries, graves or their annexes or any of 
their contents.

Article (5)  
1. Anyone who commits one of the acts stipulated in Clauses (2, 3, and 5) of article (4) of this 
Decree by Law, by any means of expression or other forms or by using any means, shall be 
punished by imprisonment for a period of not less than one year and a fine of not less than 
(AED 250,000) two hundred and fifty thousand UAE Dirhams and not exceeding (AED 
1,000,000) one million UAE Dirhams, or by one of these two penalt ies. 
2. Anyone who commits one of the acts stipulated in Clauses (1 and 4) of article (4) of this Decree by Law, by any means of expression or other forms or by using any means shall be 
punished by imprisonment for a period of not less than (2) two years and a fine of not less 
than (AED 500,000) five hundred thousand UAE Dirhams and not more than (AED 
2,000,000) two million UAE Dirhams.

Article (6)  
Anyone who commits act that would cause any form of discrimination by any means of expression or by using any me ans shall be punished by imprisonment for a period of not less 
than one year and a fine of not less than (AED 500,000) five hundred thousand  UAE  Dirhams 
and not more than (AED 1,000,000) one million  UAE  Dirhams.  Federal Law by Decree of 2023  Concerning Combating Discrimination, Hatred and Extremism  4

Article (7)  
Anyone who commits an act that  would incite hate speech by any means of expression or by 
using any means of means shall be punished by imprisonment for a period of not less than one 
year and a fine of not less than (AED 500,000) five hundred thousand UAE Dirhams and not 
more than (AED 1,000,000) one million UAE Dirhams or by one of these two penalties.

Article (8)  
Anyone who uses a method of expression or means to incite tribal strife with the intention of 
inciting hatred between individuals and groups shall be punished by imprisonment  for a period 
of not less than (6) six months and a fine of not less than (AED 50,000) fifty thousand UAE 
Dirhams, or by one of these two penalties.

Article (9)  
1. If the crimes stipulated in Articles (5), (6), and (7) of this Decree by Law are committed by a 
public employee during, because of, or on the occasion of performing his work, or by a 
person with a religious capacity or in charge of it, or if the act occurs in House of Worship, 
this shall be deemed an aggravating circumstance.  
2. The penalty shall be t emporary imprisonment for a period not exceeding (5) five years and a 
fine not less than (AED 500,000) five hundred thousand  UAE  Dirhams, if the acts stipulated 
in Clause (1) of this Article lead to a breach of public peace.

Article (10)  
1. Anyone who explo its religion to accuse individuals or groups of infidelity using any form of 
expression or using any means, in order to achieve private interests or illegal purposes, shall 
be punished with temporary imprisonment.  
2. The penalty shall be execution if the accu sation by infidelity is proven with incitement to 
murder, and the crime occurs as a result of that.  
 Federal Law by Decree of 2023  Concerning Combating Discrimination, Hatred and Extremism  5

Article (11)  
Whoever produces, manufactures, promotes, sells, or offers for sale or trading of products, 
goods, publications, recordings, films, tapes, CD s, computer programme s, smart applications, 
data in the electronic field, or any industrial materials or other things that include a method of expression, and that are likely to express blasphemy, discriminate, or incite hate speech, shall be 
punished by imprisonment for a period of not less than (2) two years and a fine of not less than 
(AED 500,000) five hundred thousand UAE Dirhams and not exceeding (AED 2,000,000) two 
million UAE Dirhams, or by one of these two penalties.

Article (12)  
1. Anyone who obtains or possesses documents, publications, recordings, films, tapes, or CDs 
or computer programmes, smart applications, data in the electronic field, any industrial 
materials, or any other things that include a method of expression if they are prepared for 
distribution or information to others, with the intention of contempt of religions, 
discrimination, or inciting hate speech shall be punished by imprisonment for a period of not less than one year and a fine of not less than (AED 50,000) fifty thousand UAE Dirhams 
and not exceeding (AED 200,000) two hundred thousand UAE Dirhams, or one of these two 
penalties.  
2. Anyone who obtains or possesses any special means of printing, recording, preserving, 
broadcasting, viewing, publishing, broadcasting or promoting for use in committing any of 
the crimes stipulated in this Decree by Law with his knowledge shall be punished with the same penalty.

Article (13)  
Whoever establishes, institutes, organises, or manages an association, centre, body, organisation, organisation, group, shall be punished by imprisonment for a period no less than Federal Law by Decree of 2023  Concerning Combating Discrimination, Hatred and Extremism  6 
 (10) ten years or violation of one of them, or uses any means to do so, for blasphemy, 
discrimination, or provoking, encouraging or promoting hate speech.

Article (14)  
Anyone who joins, p articipates in, or assists in any of the entities stipulated in article (13) of this 
Decree by Law shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding (7) seven years, 
with knowledge of its objectives.

Article (15)  
1. Anyone who holds or organises a  conference or meeting in the State if its purpose is to 
disdain religions, discriminate, or incite hate speech shall be punished with imprisonment for a period of no less than (5) five years.  
2. Anyone who participates in the conference or meeting while know ing its objectives shall be 
punished with the same penalty.  
3. The Public Authority may dissolve the conference or meeting, using force when necessary.

Article (16)  
Anyone who offers, offers, requests, accepts, obtains, delivers, or receives money or material 
support, directly or indirectly, shall be punished by imprisonment and a fine of not less than 
(AED 250,000) two hundred and fifty thousand  UAE  Dirhams and not exceeding (AED 
1,000,000) one million  UAE  Dirhams. When this is done with the intention of com mitting one 
of the acts punishable under the provisions of this Decree by Law.

Article (17)  
The representative, manager or agent of a legal person, if one of the crimes stipulated in this 
Decree by Law is committed by one of his employees in his name and for his benefit, shall be 
punished with the same penalties prescribed for the committed crime, if his knowledge of it is proven.  Federal Law by Decree of 2023  Concerning Combating Discrimination, Hatred and Extremism  7 
 The legal person shall be jointly responsible for fulfilling the financial penalties or compensation 
imposed.  
  
Section Three  
Special Substantive Provisions

Article (18) 
1. The risk of extremism exists in a person who commits any of the crimes stipulated in this Decree by Law if he adopts extremist ideology such that he fears that he will commit 
another crime of the crimes stipulated in this Decree by Law.  
2. If the person has the risk of extremism stipulated in Clause (1) of this Article, he may be 
placed in one of the Counselling Centres, by ruling from the Court and upon a request from 
the Public Prosecution Office.  
3. The Counselling Centre shall submit to the Public Prosecution Office a periodic report every (3) three months about the deposited person. The Public Prosecution Office shall submit 
these reports to the Court along with its opinion. The Court shall order the release of the 
deposited person if it becomes clear to it that his condition allows that.

Article (19)  
1. The Court, upon a request from the Public Prosecution Office, may order that anyone who has the risk of extremism stipulated in article (18) of this Decree by Law be subjected, for a 
period determined by the Court, to one or more of the following measures:  
a. Travel ban.  
b. Surveillance.  
c. Prohibition of residing in a specific place or area.  
d. Determination of r esidence in a particular place.  
e. Prohibition of visiting certain places or locations.  
f. Prevention of contact with a specific person or persons.  Federal Law by Decree of 2023  Concerning Combating Discrimination, Hatred and Extremism  8 
 2. The Public Prosecution Office shall supervise the implementation of the measures. It shall 
submit to the Court that ordered it reports on the behaviour of the person subject to the 
measure in periodic periods, none of which may exceed (3) three months.  
3. The Court may order to terminate the measure, amend it, or reduce its duration based on a 
request from the Public Pro secution or the person subject to the measure. If the request of 
the person subject to the measure is rejected, he may not submit a new request until three (3) months have passed from the date of its rejection.  
4. The person subject to the measure shall be pu nished with imprisonment for a period not 
exceeding one year if he violates the measure ordered by the Court.

Article (20)  
1. The Cabinet, based on the proposal of the Chief of the Presidential Office, may issue a 
decision that includes the creation of a list or lists in which extremist organisations or persons 
are included, defined in accordance with the provisions of this Decree by Law. Such list poses a 
danger to the State or which the State is internationally obligated to include on these lists.  
2. The  Cabinet Resolution establishing the lists determines the rules for inclusion in them, 
deletion from them, and re -listing in them, and the legal effects arising from all of that, and 
specifies the entity or entities responsible for this and the methods and  rules for appeal against 
its decisions.  
3. Anyone whose name is included in the extremist lists may file appeal against the listing 
decision. If the appeal is rejected or not responded to within (60) sixty days from the date of its 
submission, the Complai nant may appeal the listing decision before the Competent Court 
within (60) sixty days from the date of knowledge by rejecting the appeal or missing the 
deadline to respond to it.  
4. The decision shall specify the methods and rules for reviewing extremist lists, provided that the review takes place at periodic intervals, none of which exceeds one year.  
  Federal Law by Decree of 2023  Concerning Combating Discrimination, Hatred and Extremism  9

Article (21)  
Without prejudice to the imposition of the penalties stipulated in this Decree by Law, the Court 
shall rule in all cases as follows:  
1. Dissolve  or close associations, centres, bodies, organisations, groups and their branches 
temporarily or permanently.  
2. Confiscate funds, luggage, tools or papers used to commit the crimes stipulated in this 
Decree by Law, without prejudice to the rights of bona fid e third parties.  
3. Deport a convicted foreigner who commits the crimes stipulated in this Decree by Law from the State after carrying out the sentence imposed on him.

Article (22)  
1. Any Perpetrator of one of the crimes stipulated in this Decree by Law shall b e exempted 
from the penalties stipulated in this Decree by Law by informing the Judicial Authorities or Concerned Authorities of what he knows about it before commencing the crime that would 
lead to uncovering the crime before it is committed or arrest its  Perpetrators or preventing 
its completion.  
2. If the report is made after the crime is committed, he may be exempted from the penalty or 
being reduced if the Perpetrator enables the Judicial Authorities or Relevant Authorities 
during the investigation to arr est other Perpetrators of the crime.

Article (23)  
1. Without prejudice to the text of Clause (2) of this Article, the Courts of each Emirate shall adjudicate the crimes stipulated in this Decree by Law in accordance with the rules of 
jurisdiction.  
2. The Federa l Courts in the State capital shall be solely responsible for the following:  
a. Adjudicate the crimes stipulated in this Decree by Law if they are committed by a listed 
person or group or previously included on extremist lists, or if one of these crimes is 
committed as a result of extremism.  Federal Law by Decree of 2023  Concerning Combating Discrimination, Hatred and Extremism  10 
 b. Adjudicate one of the measures stipulated in Articles (18) and (19) of this Decree by Law 
when there is a danger resulting from extremism.  
3. The Federal Public Prosecution shall be responsible for procedures related to the m easures 
stipulated in Clause (2/B) of this Article. The Competent Public Prosecution shall refer it to it when there is evidence of the danger resulting from extremism.  
 
Section Four  
Final Provisions

Article (24)  
In applying the provisions of this Decree b y Law, every advantage, merit, or benefit determined 
under the provisions of any other legislation in the State for women, children, people with 
disabilities, the elderly, or others shall not be considered prohibited discrimination.

Article (25)  
1. Federal D ecree Law No. (2) of 2015 Concerning Combating Discrimination and Hatred.  
2. Any provision conflicting or contradicting with the provisions hereof shall be repealed.

Article (26)  
This Law by Decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall come into force one 
month after the date of its publication.  
 
 
Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan  
President of the United Arab Emirates  
 
Issued by us at the Presidential Palace – Abu Dhabi:  
On: September 28, 2023  
corresponding to:  Rabi ’ al-Awwal 13, 1445 H