Over 1,000 couples tie the knot in Abu Dhabi's new civil marriage court
June 3, 2022, 10:11 am

Over 1,000 couples tie the knot in Abu Dhabi's new civil marriage court

British couple Sarah Goodman and Craig Lindsey wanted a civil wedding and applied online after new laws were introduced in November to support expatriates in Abu Dhabi - The National

In fewer than six months, more than a 1,000 non-Emirati couples have tied the knot in Abu Dhabi's new civil marriage court, The National reported.

After sweeping changes to Abu Dhabi laws that allow non-Muslim residents or visitors to have a civil marriage at court, hundreds of tourists have flocked to the judicial department to get married.

The new regulations are positioning the capital as a wedding destination with couples flying in specifically to tie the knot.

So far, more than 20 per cent of the applicants have been tourists.

In December, a Canadian couple were the first to register their union at the new court. In February, a British couple from Essex, England, flew in from the UK to get married in Abu Dhabi.

More than a dozen couples have already registered for civil marriages in Abu Dhabi - The National

“We decided to get married here because we want to have a civil marriage not a religious one,” said the groom Craig Lindsey at the time. “We are moving to Dubai so decided it would be nice to have it in the UAE.”

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The family court also handles divorce cases after new laws allowed no-fault divorce for the first time. This is when a couple do not need to submit proof of any wrongdoing to be granted a divorce. Instead, a simple request for divorce by either partner is sufficient.

The new court has drastically reduced the waiting time needed to get married or divorced. Couples can now get divorced in a matter of days instead of months, or sometimes years, under the previous laws.

Couples can also have the laws of the country in which they were married applied to their divorce proceedings instead of Sharia, which applies only to Muslims.

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The court has so far received 50 no-fault divorce applications, 20 civil inheritance cases and 250 applications for civil will attestation.

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”