The UAE can be proud of the many things that it has achieved in recent times, but perhaps close to being top of that list is the introduction of a new civil family law regime applicable throughout the country.
Before these changes, each emirate had its own personal status law and court, part of the role of which was to regulate residents’ family law issues. Although these courts are not strictly Sharia based, they are Sharia led.
This creates a cultural platform in areas such as in family law which is quite different to that operable in countries in the West. For some residents who come from abroad and especially for non-Muslims, this disconnect could be challenging and sometimes led to families seeking to have their legal disputes resolved in their countries of origin.
These different approaches existed in the parenting roles for men and women, in the support provided for wives in divorce by families rather than ex-spouses and the treatment of money accumulated during the marriage on a financial application following a divorce.
The introduction of a civil family law is intended to address this cultural disconnect and provide non-Muslim residents and families living in the UAE with outcomes that feel more familiar and therefore hopefully cause less anguish and acrimony during relationship breakdown.
It also allows families to obtain a remedy in their country of residence rather than their country of origin.
A key part of the new law is to not differentiate between parties on the ground of gender – this being in some ways the opposite of the previously applicable personal status law that specifically provided for gender-defined roles of Guardian (the man) and Custodian (the woman), with different obligations, powers and duties arising from those two parenting roles.
The clearest and most substantial manifestation of this gender non-differentiation is the new starting point of “joint custody”, where it is a fundamental principle that the mother and father shall jointly share the responsibility of raising children after divorce.
For this to be disapplied, and sole custody sought and obtained, one must specifically apply with good reason in support. This is a helpful move forward for expatriate non-Muslim residents in the UAE who can now enjoy a non-gender based outcome in a custody dispute.
Under the personal status law the financial award on a divorce has an entirely differently principled foundation than one obtained in a western country. Culturally and historically in the UAE, there is no expectation for ex-spouses to provide ongoing financial support for the other ex-spouse on divorce unless that support is for a child.
The new civil family law has already been well received internationally
There is a greater emphasis on family support in such a situation and with the provision of compensation, bringing a marriage to an end is considered locally a much simpler, less burdensome exercise. Abroad and in western countries, it is considered quite differently: marriage is a partnership that brings with it an obligation of future support and sharing of that which has been generated during the marriage, whether a specific de jure (as in France) or de facto (as in England) community of property regime exists.
The new civil family law therefore broadens the scope for financial orders upon a divorce to allow for spousal maintenance and lump-sum orders that reflect this different expectation and perception of what a marriage creates and represents to those expatriate residents.
Now an ex-spouse can receive ongoing monthly support from their richer former spouse, perhaps to reflect the fact that the relationship generated career disadvantages (such as having children or otherwise) and to share more in that which was created during the marriage albeit perhaps held in the sole name of just one party.
To assist the court with these greater financial powers on a divorce, the new civil family law also allows for a sophisticated disclosure process conducted by a third-party accountant expert, who provides a report on the assets and income of the parties.
Comment from The National
In many countries around the world, it is possible to seek financial relief after a foreign divorce. This means that court proceedings in their country of origin could still be relevant for a non-Muslim resident of the UAE even if they have obtained a divorce in the Emirates.
This facility is usually available only when there is a deficiency in the financial order obtained at first instance. With these increased powers and the wider scope now applicable in the UAE, it will make such applications less possible and therefore fewer. As a result, it will keep proceedings on separation in one place and in one court.
The new civil family law has already been well received internationally, with the well known and well-regarded English judge Edward Hess’s ruling that the English court would defer to the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court in a decision reported in the English law reports in October 2022. It is assumed this will be the first of many such endorsements in the near future and onwards.
This ultimately is another welcoming gesture by the UAE to its expatriate non-Muslim residents. It is intended to send to them a message that they should feel comfortable building a life, a family and a home here and know that if a separation occurs – or if one already has – a culturally relevant outcome is available for them.
It is another stark example of the UAE placing itself in a uniquely modern position and underlines its status as a progressive country that truly values its international communities.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Case For Trump
By Victor Davis Hanson
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
FIXTURES
Nov 04-05: v Western Australia XI, Perth
Nov 08-11: v Cricket Australia XI, Adelaide
Nov 15-18 v Cricket Australia XI, Townsville (d/n)
Nov 23-27: 1ST TEST v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane
Dec 02-06: 2ND TEST v AUSTRALIA, Adelaide (d/n)
Dec 09-10: v Cricket Australia XI, Perth
Dec 14-18: 3RD TEST v AUSTRALIA, Perth
Dec 26-30 4TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Melbourne
Jan 04-08: 5TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Sydney
Note: d/n = day/night
Emirates Cricket Board Women’s T10
ECB Hawks v ECB Falcons
Monday, April 6, 7.30pm, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
The match will be broadcast live on the My Sports Eye Facebook page
Hawks
Coach: Chaitrali Kalgutkar
Squad: Chaya Mughal (captain), Archara Supriya, Chamani Senevirathne, Chathurika Anand, Geethika Jyothis, Indhuja Nandakumar, Kashish Loungani, Khushi Sharma, Khushi Tanwar, Rinitha Rajith, Siddhi Pagarani, Siya Gokhale, Subha Srinivasan, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish
Falcons
Coach: Najeeb Amar
Squad: Kavisha Kumari (captain), Almaseera Jahangir, Annika Shivpuri, Archisha Mukherjee, Judit Cleetus, Ishani Senavirathne, Lavanya Keny, Mahika Gaur, Malavika Unnithan, Rishitha Rajith, Rithika Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Shashini Kaluarachchi, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Vaishnave Mahesh
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
More on animal trafficking
The bio
His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell
His favourite quote - 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance' by Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard
Favourite place to travel to - Peloponnese, Southern Greece
Favourite movie - The Last Emperor
Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great
Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Series information
Pakistan v Dubai
First Test, Dubai International Stadium
Sun Oct 6 to Thu Oct 11
Second Test, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tue Oct 16 to Sat Oct 20
Play starts at 10am each day
Teams
Pakistan
1 Mohammed Hafeez, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Haris Sohail, 6 Babar Azam, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed, 8 Bilal Asif, 9 Yasir Shah, 10, Mohammed Abbas, 11 Wahab Riaz or Mir Hamza
Australia
1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Mitchell Marsh, 5 Travis Head, 6 Marnus Labuschagne, 7 Tim Paine, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jon Holland
The biog
Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too
The specs: 2018 Renault Koleos
Price, base: From Dh77,900
Engine: 2.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 170hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 233Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.3L / 100km
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
South Africa World Cup squad
South Africa: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (w), JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Rassie van der Dussen.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
