Unmarried Couples Living Together in the UAE

Unmarried couples may encounter various restrictions in Arab countries, including difficulties in securing accommodation in a single hotel room or renting a long-term apartment. Read on to learn about the regulations regarding cohabitation for unmarried couples in the United Arab Emirates and rules for couples in Dubai.

• What is Prohibited by the New Law?
  
• Can Unmarried Couples Apply for Residence Together and Sponsor Each Other?
• Can One Have Children out of Wedlock?
• Other Relaxed and Tightened Laws in the UAE
• What about Saudi Arabia?

Recognizing the influx of tourists from Western countries who may have an interest in investing in the UAE economy and extending their stays, the UAE government has initiated a series of legal reforms. These reforms mark one of the most significant legal transformations in recent years, addressing various issues including divorce, inheritance, the rights related to the sale and consumption of alcohol, and the sensitive matter of "honor killings."

These initiatives are designed to enhance the quality of life for expatriates in the UAE while simultaneously enticing direct foreign investments into the country. According to projections, Dubai's foreign trade volume for 2023 is anticipated to reach 25.6 trillion dirhams, thanks to an expanding list of foreign partners. Dubai is also actively pursuing an annual goal of attracting approximately 60 billion dirhams in direct foreign investments.

Until recently, UAE law prohibited unmarried couples from cohabiting. But can unmarried couples stay in hotels in Dubai? In practice, some hotels did permit them to share a room, but it often led to sidelong glances and gossip. In contrast, other hotels and residences didn't permit the living together unmarried in UAE and required them to rent two separate rooms or even two apartments.

Can unmarried couples stay in hotels in Dubai 2024? In November 2020, the government implemented significant changes. These changes allow not only unmarried couples but also unrelated friends to cohabitate together.

The UAE media pointed out that even before these changes, many unmarried expatriates were already living in Dubai without facing prosecution by the authorities for rule violations. However, the enactment of the new law has officially removed this situation from the realm of criminality, providing a more comfortable environment for couples in informal relationships to stay in the UAE.

Please note that cohabitating in the same apartment with the primary tenant is only permissible if the property owner has granted consent. This is governed by the RERA rules that encompass all aspects of renting apartments and villas in Dubai. It's important to avoid secret cohabitation, as doing so may provide the landlord with legal grounds to terminate the lease agreement.

What is Prohibited by the New Law?

The new UAE law legalizes cohabitation for opposite-sex individuals, irrespective of their marital status. However, there are exceptions: cohabitation of men and women is prohibited if at least one of them or both are married to other individuals. This is regarded as adultery and treason, constituting a criminal offense under UAE law.

Also note that the new law only applies to cohabitation of heterosexual couples. According to the laws in Dubai for couples, homosexual couples in a relationship are not allowed to stay in Dubai because Dubai rules for couples consider it a crime.

The new law no longer considers consensual premarital sex as a criminal offense, and individuals engaging in such activities are not prosecuted by the authorities. However, consensual sex is still regarded as a crime if one of the partners, regardless of gender, is under 14 years old or if the victim is unable to provide consent due to their young age, mental incapacity, insanity, or mental retardation.

Can Unmarried Couples Apply for Residence Together and Sponsor Each Other?

Can in UAE unmarried couples living together? An unmarried man and woman can cohabit, but the recent legal changes have not extended beyond this relaxation in the rules. Legally speaking, such relationships are not considered official. Consequently, if, for instance, a man secures a job in Dubai and wishes to sponsor his girlfriend for residency, his application will not be processed. To obtain residency benefits, the couple must formalize their relationship, as the UAE presently only offers spouse visas for married expatriates.

Can One Have Children out of Wedlock?

Previously, pregnancy in the UAE was primarily associated with married women. An unmarried foreign woman in such a situation could face deportation. When registering a pregnancy, doctors invariably requested a marriage certificate, and if a woman was unmarried, they were obligated to report the situation to the police.

Now, sexual relations outside of marriage are permitted in the UAE. Unmarried pregnant women have the right to receive medical assistance without the need to provide marriage documents, but this provision applies only until the onset of labor. If the woman is a UAE resident who intends to remain in the country, she must be married by the time labor begins.

Tourists with valid visas don't encounter these issues. As a result, Dubai has ventured into the birth tourism sector, emerging as a competitor to Miami in terms of popularity among expectant mothers. Russian citizens, for instance, can stay in Dubai for up to 6 months without a visa, which provides ample time to arrive a few months before childbirth, give birth, enjoy a brief vacation, and then return home. Nevertheless, there are no specific perks for this arrangement, except for the favorable climate if one is fortunate enough to avoid a heatwave during their stay.

Other Relaxed and Tightened Laws in the UAE

The UAE is a diverse country hosting residents from over 200 nationalities. Recent legislative initiatives now allow non-residents residing in the UAE to address certain matters in accordance with the laws of their home country. For instance, you can marry or divorce and manage inheritance affairs based on your native country's laws. Consequently, family law cases involving expatriates will not be subject to Islamic law or Sharia.

One of the most significant changes pertains to divorce proceedings and property division. If a couple was married in their home country and seeks a divorce in the UAE, the laws of the country where the marriage was registered will now govern the process. The updated regulations also address joint assets and joint accounts, introducing a new dimension to the UAE legal landscape. However, in the absence of an agreement between the two parties, they can seek mediation through the local court.

The changes have also had an impact on matters related to drafting wills and inheritance. Previously, family members of a deceased person might have discovered that assets were distributed among the heirs in accordance with Sharia law, which may be unfamiliar to foreigners. However, now inheritance is handled in accordance with the laws of the deceased's home country, with priority given to the will. The only exception to this is real estate purchased in the UAE and governed by UAE laws.

Recent legal changes have also seen stricter enforcement. A couple of years ago, UAE lawmakers made the decision to increase penalties for so-called "honor crimes," which have been prevalent in the Arab world. In the past, men often received lenient sentences for attacking a female relative if they could demonstrate that her actions had brought dishonor to the family. However, UAE authorities have now opted for more rigorous prosecution in such cases.

And if you are wondering if it is really safe to live in the UAE after all, then read on: Is Dubai safe for expats?

What about Saudi Arabia?

Observing Dubai's successful attraction of foreign investments and tourists from around the world, neighboring Saudi Arabia has also considered relaxing certain rules. Previously, unmarried couples were not permitted to reside together, even if they had children. However, an exception was made for the world-renowned soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo and his partner, the mother of his children, Georgina, primarily for economic reasons and to enhance the country's image.

It is said that, much like in Dubai, some people have started to overlook cohabitation of foreign citizens through unofficial means, even though the official ban remains in effect. Even in hotels, only officially married couples are allowed to check in together in one room.

Recently, the country announced the opening of a resort on the Red Sea coast, with a specific focus on attracting foreign visitors. This implies that women will be permitted to wear bikinis and relax on the beach alongside men. When booking a hotel, no inquiries will be made about the nature of couples' relationships or their possession of an official marriage certificate.

In a Nutshell

Over the past few years, the UAE government has adopted a more lenient approach toward foreigners residing in the country, enabling them to address numerous marriage and inheritance matters in accordance with the laws of their home countries. What is more, the UAE government have changed the rules of cohabitation, and now unmarried couples can stay in dubai and abu dhabi hotels. This change appears to be mutually beneficial, as it has led to a growing influx of expatriates into the Emirates. New residents can now avoid making substantial lifestyle adjustments and adapt to local legislation more seamlessly.