Equal legal rights for men and women, joint custody and the expediting of divorce procedures are some of the changes announced for non-Muslims in Abu Dhabi.
The new law was issued on Sunday by President Sheikh Khalifa.
The new family law is set to provide "a flexible and advanced judicial mechanism for the determination of personal status disputes for non-Muslims”, Abu Dhabi Judicial Department said.
The move is designed to bring Abu Dhabi in step with international practices and enhance its position as a destination for global talent.
Under the new law, spouses have the right to divorce without needing to prove harm was done in the marriage.
Joint and equal custody of children will be automatically granted to parents after divorce, with procedures in place to settle disputes.
Changes to inheritance laws for non-Muslims in Abu Dhabi mean that, should a person die without a will, half of their estate will automatically go to their spouse, with the other half going to their children.
A specialised court dedicated to non-Muslim family matters has also been introduced.
All the procedures of the court will be in Arabic and English to ensure foreigners understand them and to improve judicial transparency.
The new family law comes after a series of changes were introduced in Abu Dhabi to modernise and overhaul the legal system and preserve the rights of non-Muslims, ensuring that their legal matters do not fall under Sharia.
The law consists of 20 articles divided into several chapters covering civil marriage, divorce, joint custody of children and inheritance.
Yousef Al Abri, Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, said the legislation dealt with the smallest details regarding the family lives of non-Muslims and reflects Abu Dhabi's legislative leadership and the global status it has achieved, he said.
Marriage
Non-Muslim couples in Abu Dhabi can now marry “based on the will of both the husband and wife”, meaning consent from the wife’s guardian is no longer mandated.
Divorce
Spouses no longer need to prove one party was at fault to apply for divorce. Previously, harm had to be proven or the divorce would not be granted.
Either spouse may now ask the court to end the marriage without placing blame.
Divorce can now be granted at the first hearing without the need to go to the family guidance department.
Divorcing couples will also no longer be required to go through mandatory mediation sessions.
Alimony and other subsequent requests will be submitted through a "post-divorce request form". In the case of a dispute regarding financial requests, several factors will be taken into account, including the length of the marriage, the age of the wife and the financial status of each spouse.
Alimony can be renegotiated an on annual basis, and is automatically forfeited when the wife remarries.
Joint custody
Custody of any children will be a joint and equal right between parents to “preserve the psychological health of the child and reduce the effects of the divorce on the child”.
In the event of a dispute over custody, the court can be asked to intervene and make a decision on the matter. The primary consideration will always be the best interests of the child.
Previously, a mother was only given custody of her son until he reached the age of 11, and her daughter until she turned 13. The father could claim custody once the child reached those ages.
Inheritance
The new law ensures the right of a foreigner to draw up a will giving their property to whoever they wish.
In the absence of a will, half of a person’s estate will now go to the surviving spouse. The other half will be distributed between the deceased’s children equally.
Previously, a son would obtain a larger share of the inheritance.
If the deceased has no children, the inheritance will go to their parents, or it may be split equally between one surviving parent and the deceased’s siblings.
Wills for non-Muslims should be registered during the signing of their marriage certificate.
Proof of Paternity
The new law states that proof of paternity for non-Muslims will be based on marriage or the recognition of paternity.
Modernisation of UAE law
In November last year, the UAE government embarked on one of the biggest overhauls of the legal system in years, with changes made to family law and other areas affecting people’s daily lives.
The latest changes come after several amendments to UAE laws were announced as part of the Projects of the 50, a set of ambitious initiatives that will boost economic growth and set the country on a progressive course for the next 50 years.
The UAE continues to adapt and change to accommodate its residents and keep pace with international practices.
Recent announcements have highlighted changes to visas, working regulations and the investment of billions to boost the economy and help small businesses.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE's final round of matches
- Sep 1, 2016 Beat Japan 2-1 (away)
- Sep 6, 2016 Lost to Australia 1-0 (home)
- Oct 6, 2016 Beat Thailand 3-1 (home)
- Oct 11, 2016 Lost to Saudi Arabia 3-0 (away)
- Nov 15, 2016 Beat Iraq 2-0 (home)
- Mar 23, 2017 Lost to Japan 2-0 (home)
- Mar 28, 2017 Lost to Australia 2-0 (away)
- June 13, 2017 Drew 1-1 with Thailand (away)
- Aug 29, 2017 v Saudi Arabia (home)
- Sep 5, 2017 v Iraq (away)
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away
It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.
The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.
But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.
At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.
The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.
After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.
Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.
And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.
At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.
And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.
* Agence France Presse
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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