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UAE Sharia Personal Status (Muslim) LawFederal Law No. 21 of 1997 Determining the Dowry in the Marriage Contract and the Expenses thereof

UAE Federal Law·Federal Law No. 21 of 1997

قانون اتحادي بشأن تحديد المهر في عقد الزواج ومصاريفه

Authoritative Arabic version per the official UAE Legislation portal

Issued Date
December 21, 1997
Effective from
December 31, 1997
Articles
8
Last synced
Jun 5, 2026
Download PDFOfficial source

Plain-language summary

  • Sets rules for dowry amount and terms in UAE marriage contracts.
  • Applies to all marriages registered under UAE law.
  • Defines financial obligations and expenses tied to marriage.
  • Protects rights of both spouses regarding dowry payments.
  • Establishes legal framework for dowry disputes and enforcement.

Establishes rules governing the determination of dowry in marriage contracts and regulates the financial obligations and expenses associated with marriage under…

Synced from the official UAE Legislation portal · Plain-language summary by the LEXAI editorial team

Article-level text

Key Articles

8 articles

  1. 1

    Article 1

    Article (1) The advance dowry in the Contract Marriage shall not be more than (AED 20,000) twenty thousand Dirhams and the deferred dowry shall not be more than (AED 30,000) thirty thousand Dirhams.

  2. 2

    Article 2

    Article (2) Any action claiming for the excess of limits stated in Article (1) hereof shall not be heard before courts and this provision shall apply to the actions pending before courts as of the

    -- 1 of 3 --

    Federal Law of 1997 Determining the Dowry in the Marriage Contract and the Expenses thereof 2 effective date of this Law.

  3. 3

    Article 3

    Article (3) 1. Days of the wedding ceremony may not be more than one day only. 2. No more than nine camels may be slaughtered in the wedding ceremonies.

  4. 4

    Article 4

    Article (4) Whoever violates the provisions of this Law shall be deprived of the marriage grant set out in Federal Law No. (47) of 1992 referred to above.

  5. 5

    Article 5

    Article (5) Without prejudice to the provisions of Article (4), whoever violates the provisions of Clause (2) of Article (3) of this Law shall be punished by a fine of (AED 500,000) five hundred thousand dirhams.

  6. 6

    Article 6

    Article (6) The Minister of Interior and Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments shall implement the provisions of this Law and may issue the necessary resolutions in this regard.

  7. 7

    Article 7

    Article (7) Federal Law No. (12) of 1973 referred to above as well as any provision contrary or repugnant to the provisions of this Law are hereby repealed.

    -- 2 of 3 --

    Federal Law of 1997 Determining the Dowry in the Marriage Contract and the Expenses thereof 3

  8. 8

    Article 8

    Article (8) This Law shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall come into full force and effect as of the publication date thereof. Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan President of the United Arab Emirates Issued by us in the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi On 21 Shaaban 1418 AH. Corresponding to 21 December 1997 AD.

    -- 3 of 3 --

Note: The Arabic text of this legislation is the authoritative version as per the official UAE Legislation portal.

Articles in this law(8)
  1. 1Article (1) The advance dowry in the Contract Marriage shall not be more than (A
  2. 2Article (2) Any action claiming for the excess of limits stated in Article (1) h
  3. 3Article (3) 1. Days of the wedding ceremony may not be more than one day only. 2
  4. 4Article (4) Whoever violates the provisions of this Law shall be deprived of the
  5. 5Article (5) Without prejudice to the provisions of Article (4), whoever violates
  6. 6Article (6) The Minister of Interior and Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs an
  7. 7Article (7) Federal Law No. (12) of 1973 referred to above as well as any provis
  8. 8Article (8) This Law shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall come i
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