Menu
Expat.com

How do you feel about the law changes in the UAE?

Post new topic

Veedushi

Hello everyone!

I hope you are well.

The United Arab Emirates is changing its laws to attract and retain expats.

Some of these changes are the legalisation of alcohol, the right for unmarried couples to live under the same roof, divorce according to your home country's laws, etc.

How do you feel about these changes?

How are they going to affect your expat life or your plans to relocate to the UAE?

Feel free to share your comments below. We look forward to hearing from you.

Warm regards,
Veedushi
Expat.com Team

See also

Living in the United Arab Emirates: the expat guideWork Permit on Dependant visa with Old Tb ScarCertificate of Continuity - COC letterBook store in Al ruwais ?Cost of living in the United Arab Emirates in 2025
XTang

Practically speaking, all it does is remove the risk and fear.   In reality, this has always been happening and the overwhelming majority of people were not penalized e.g. people have alcohol delivered at home through online orders or buy from duty free (you could always drink in a bar but to purchase legally in the country, you needed a liquor license), unmarried couples were living together etc etc.

Divorce, for non-Muslims, always had a choice i.e. your own country laws.   The only change now is that the law of the country where the marriage took place will be applied vs. nationality.  Because in the past, if both parties were different nationals and didn't agree on which country, then it used to lead to Shariah law being applied.

The biggest change which most people missed is the applicability of a "will" for Muslims.  In the past, even if a Muslim had a will and died, Shariah law was applied.  Now, you can draft a will and specify which country's law you want to be applied in the event of your death.

Ivalushnja

As per what I read,  consensual sex before marriage would not be considered a crime anymore, this would be on the discretion of the judge to consider it as illegal or not. Is it true, or i got the wrong information??

XTang

Let them put it in the official gazette for it to become law first.

Articles to help you in your expat project in the United Arab Emirates

All of the United Arab Emirates's guide articles