The UAE Cabinet has issued a new family status law, addressing some issues for the first time, such as setting the minimum age for marriage at 18 years. Recovering dowry The new law also revises the provisions related to recovering gifts and dowry in cases where an engagement is abandoned. It clarifies the types of gifts that may be reclaimed, including gifts conditional upon the completion of the marriage and high-value gifts exceeding Dh25,000 each. If such gifts are unavailable in their original form, their equivalent value at the time of receipt may be sought unless the gift’s nature renders it consumable. Permission to marry The law facilitates the transfer of marriage guardianship to the court, ensuring a woman’s right to marry someone she consents to. If a guardian unjustly refuses to grant permission, the court may intervene to transfer guardianship. Additionally, the law eliminates the requirement for a guardian’s consent when a non-citizen Muslim woman’s national law does not mandate it for concluding a marriage contract. The decree-law grants flexibility to family court judges, allowing them to rule according to Islamic law in the absence of specific provisions within the law, without being restricted to specific schools of thought, […]