UAE: 40 laws changing in new criminal code

As part of the most sweeping legal reform in the Gulf state’s history, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Sunday that a new criminal code would take effect in 2022. 

State news agency WAM reported that the government is changing 40 laws by the end of the year.

The news agency failed to mention, however, which of the changes were new and which were previously announced, according to Reuters.

An apparent change is the ratification of a Federal Crime and Punishment Law designed to better protect women, domestic staff, and public safety. 

The UAE is pushing legal reform to keep a competitive edge in the Gulf region, as its neighbor Saudi Arabia opens itself up to foreign partners and investors.

So far, major changes in November included decriminalizing premarital sexual relations as well as alcohol consumption, and canceling provisions for leniency when dealing with so-called “honor killings" - murdering an individual to protect the dignity of a family. 

Saturday’s statement added clarity that was previously lacking to the status of pre-marital sexual relations and children born from them, Reuters reported.

"Any couple conceiving a child out of wedlock will be required to marry or singly or jointly acknowledge the child, and provide identification papers and travel documents in accordance with the laws of the country of which either is a national," the statement said.

Other recent changes by the UAE include longer-term visas in efforts to attract and retain foreign talent and businesses.