An Abu Dhabi court has issued a civil marriage certificate for a non-Muslim couple for the first time in the United Arab Emirates, a Gulf country seeking a more liberal and progressive image, the Emirati news agency WAM reported.
A Canadian couple is the first to benefit from this new law on the non-Muslim status of the Emirati capital.
“The issuance of this first civil marriage agreement by an Abu Dhabi court is a precedent in the region,” WAM writes.
This rich Muslim Gulf state has tried in recent years to emerge as a modern state and open to the world.
The Emirates, where 90% of the population of almost ten million are foreigners, have allowed cohabitation, eased restrictions on alcohol and facilitated the process of obtaining a residence permit.
Civil marriage is a rare occurrence in the Middle East and is generally performed under the authority of a priest.
Although many countries in the region do not recognize civil marriage, others do, such as Algeria and Tunisia, sometimes under certain conditions.
In early December, the United Arab Emirates decided from 2022 to shift the weekend from Saturday-Saturday to Sunday-Sunday and to establish a four-and-a-half-day work week, mainly for the sake of competitiveness.
It will be the only Gulf country where the end of the week will not be Friday, a day of prayer for Muslims, and Saturday.
In Saudi Arabia, a neighbor of the United Arab Emirates, reforms have begun, such as lifting the ban on women driving and allowing concerts and other mixed events, despite strong opposition from dissidents.
Like the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia wants to diversify its oil-dependent economy and turn Riyadh’s capital into an international hub.
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