Dubai news, UAE decriminalises alcohol and lifts ban on unmarried couples living together

Dubai News: UAE Decriminalises Alcohol And Lifts Ban On Unmarried Couples Living Together

Dubai News: The United Arab Emirates has announced that drinking alcohol and cohabiting outside of marriage are to be allowed in an unprecedented major overhaul of the country’s Islamic personal laws.

The broadening of personal freedoms is unconnected to the changing profile of a country that has sought to assert itself as a Westernised destination for tourists, fortune-seekers,( a.k.a economic migrants) and businesses despite its strict Islamic legal code that has previously triggered court cases against foreigners in the country.

You Might Also Like: The Rise and Fall Of Cyber Crime criminal Ray Hushpuppi

As a country with no significant mineral deposit of any sought, the reforms aim to boost the country’s economic and social standing and “consolidate the UAE’s principles of tolerance,” said state-run WAM news agency, which provided only minimal details in the surprise weekend announcement.

The government decrees behind the changes were outlined extensively in state-linked newspaper The National, which did not cite its source.

It is suspected that, the move follows a historic US-brokered deal to normalise relations between the UAE and Israel, which is expected to bring an influx of rich Israeli/Jewish tourists and investment. Furthermore, It coincides with the readying of skyscraper-studded Dubai to host the World Expo.

The high-stakes event, expected to bring a flurry of commercial activity and some 25 million visitors to the country, was slated for October but was pushed back a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In United Arab Emirate survives by tourism. However, the emirate’s tourism sector, which accounts for around five per cent of GDP, has been battered by global lockdowns and restrictions on flights.

Dubai, the United Arab Emirates | Image: AP

The changes, which The National said would take immediate effect, also reflect the efforts of the Emirates’ rulers to keep pace with a rapidly changing society at home.

“I could not be happier for these new laws that are progressive and proactive,” said Emirati filmmaker Abdallah Al Kaabi, whose art has tackled taboo topics like homosexual love and gender identity. “2020 has been a tough and transformative year for the UAE,” he added.

The major changes include scrapping penalties for alcohol consumption, sales and possession for those within the age of 21 and over.

Although liquor and beer is widely available in bars and clubs in the UAE’s luxuriant coastal cities, individuals needed a government-issued license to purchase, transport or have alcohol in their homes. However, the new rule would forthwith allow Muslims who have, hitherto, been barred from obtaining licenses to drink alcoholic beverages freely.

Secondly, another amendment allows for ‘cohabitation of unmarried couples,’ which has long been an age long crime in the UAE.

Dubai news said that before now, authorities, especially in the more freewheeling financial hub of Dubai, often looked the other way when it came to foreigners, but would swing in action the moment locals threat of punishment still lingered. Attempted suicide, forbidden in Islamic law, would also be decriminalised, The National reported.

Checkout Out News On Dubai Porta Potty

Austin Peter
Austin Peter

I am a 23 year old Electronics Engineer. I am also a travel enthusiast and also a webmaster. Please, help my site grow for a better service. Do contact me for financial donations and supports of any kind.

NB: I own this website for I created it from scratch. Although I am currently in partnership with Oset Ventures Group.

Articles: 243

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Verified by MonsterInsights