“UAE Rules” ; Is Living Together Without Getting Legally Married Is Punishable ???

Recently in UAE, engaging in a relationship (sexual) with a person who is not married to you was a criminal offense and therefore punishable by rule. This is by Article 356 of the Federal Law of 1987 related to the issuance of penal code which notes: “Without prejudice to the foregoing two Articles, the crime of offensive assault with mutual approval shall be punished by imprisonment for at least one year; and if the crime is committed against a male or female who is under 14 years of age, or if the crime is committed by force, it shall be punished by transient imprisonment.” Further, cohabitation without marriage attracted deportation if the couple who are cohabiting are found culpable by the criminal court. This is under Article 121 of the Penal Law of UAE.

However, the UAE government declared reforms in personal laws, women’s safety, suicide, alcohol consumption, and laws related to relationships. The changes included decriminalizing the living together of couples who are not married. Thus, if you are living with your girlfriend in the UAE, it may not be regarded as a crime henceforth and there may be no imprisonment or penalties for co-habitation. Further, as individuals, you and your girlfriend may own a property in the UAE. In the UAE, foreign nationals may own properties in designated areas in the emirate of Dubai. This is under Article 4 of Law of 2006 concerning real property registration in the emirate of Dubai, which states: “The right to own real property in the emirate will be restricted to UAE nationals, nationals of the Gulf Cooperation Council member states and companies fully owned by these, and to public joint-stock companies. Subject to the consent of the Ruler, non-UAE nationals may in certain areas defined by the Ruler, be given the following rights:

• Freehold ownership of real property without time restrictions.
•  Usufruct or leasehold over a real property for a period not surpassing 99 years.”(the right to use or enjoy a thing possessed, directly and without altering it or the right to derive profit from a thing possessed: for instance, by selling crops, leasing immovables or annexed movables, taxing for entry.)

Because of the foregoing, it may be mentioned that there are no restrictions in the emirate of Dubai for foreign nationals to co-own properties in specifically designated areas.