What do you need to know about the UAE laws regulating romantic relationships between two people?

Islamic countries such as the United Arab Emirates follow Islamic Laws or Sharia Law. This means that they regulate themselves differently than what would be considered normal in the global sense. If you are planning to get married in an Islamic country, here is what you need to know.

Definition of Sharia/Islamic Law for marriage

Sharia law is a religious law that was formed in part of Islamic traditions. It is derived from the religious precept of the Quran which is the central religious text of Islam, and the Hadith which is believed to be a record of the words, actions and the silent approval of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

As per Sharia Law, marriage is the only legal bond for a man and a woman to establish a relationship and to have children. In most countries that do not have Sharia law, marriage in a civil setting would not be hard to do. However, under Sharia law the rules and procedure may vary depending on nationality and/or religion.

How Sharia Law affects couples 

With the boom of economy in the UAE, a lot of foreigners decide to go to the UAE especially in cities like Dubai and potentially start a family. It might be considered normal in most places to have children at first before deciding to get married. You have to be careful as this is considered illegal in Sharia Law. The law strictly punishes such violators.

The recent changes in the UAE Penal Code allowed unmarried couples in the UAE to live together however other GCC countries did not apply such changes. Plus giving a birth out of wedlock is still illegal in the UAE

In most cases you would have to contact your lawyers or your respective embassies in discussing what the steps are for marriage. 

Are there any laws we are missing? Please let us know in the comments and we will happily add them!