Abu Dhabi issues law on divorce, inheritance for non-Muslims
ABC News
The capital of the United Arab Emirates has issued new rules governing divorce, inheritance and child custody for non-Muslims in Abu Dhabi
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- The capital of the United Arab Emirates has issued new rules governing divorce, inheritance and child custody for non-Muslims in Abu Dhabi, the country's state-run news agency reported.
The report Sunday by the WAM news agency said Abu Dhabi would create a new court to handle these cases, which will be held in both Arabic and English to be better understood by the emirate's vast foreign worker population.
Change in child custody will allow parents to share joint custody of their children, WAM reported. The law also introduces the idea of civil marriage, allows wills to be drawn up granting inheritance to whomever a person chooses and deals with paternity issues.
Abu Dhabi is one of seven sheikhdoms that make up the UAE and the new law affects only this sheikhdom. While the oil-rich emirate is the capital of the nation, Abu Dhabi's population is dwarfed by that of neighboring Dubai.
