UAE Plans To Decriminalise Alcohol, Cohabitation By Unwed Couples

The United Arab Emirates plans to decriminalize "actions that don't harm others," potentially ending punishments for alcohol consumption or cohabitation by unwed couples in the expatriate-dominated country.

The amendments to the UAE personal status law, criminal code and other laws were made on Saturday, part of an effort to "strengthen the country's ability to attract foreign expertise and investment," state news agency WAM reported. It didn't specify when the amended laws will take effect.

The legal overhaul means that consuming alcohol, living together before marriage and attempting suicide will no longer be considered crimes, The National newspaper reported, without saying where it got the information.

While punishments for such actions haven't been commonly applied, some criminal cases involving drunkenness or sex out of wedlock had risen to prominence over the years, marring the Persian Gulf country's reputation as a magnet for skilled foreign workers. Like other Gulf Arab nations, the oil-dependent UAE relies on expatriates to operate much of the economy.

The amendments mean that foreign couples who separate could apply the divorce laws of the country where they married, rather than those of the UAE, The National reported. The paper, based in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi, said the legal changes are effective immediately.

WAM said that foreigners in the Islamic country will also be able to choose the inheritance laws that apply to them.

In addition to decriminalizing unspecified "actions that don't harm others," the government canceled a mitigating excuse applied to "honor crimes," WAM reported. Such crimes are commonly understood to include the assault or murder of relatives, usually female, for "dishonoring" their family. Regular criminal penalties would apply in such cases, WAM said.

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