More than 36,000 weddings involving non-Emiratis have been carried out at the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court since it opened in late 2021, with many couples requesting to tie the knot on Friday – Valentine's Day.
The court has processed an average of 70 weddings a day, about 12 applications an hour. Officials are expecting Friday to be even busier than Valentine's Day last year, when 143 marriages took place at the civil court.
One who will be getting married on Friday is Diksha Dilip Sahare, 30, a nurse from India, who is marrying her fiance Hitesh Ashok Patil at the court.
“Ever since I was a child, I always said that I was going to get married on Valentine’s," she said. "Every Valentine’s my friends would joke if this would be the day I would get married.
"I just think it is the most romantic thing in the world and when I got engaged, that was one of my conditions – that we get married on Valentine’s Day. Hitesh has fulfilled my dream."
She is only one of many people in the UAE hoping to get married on what is widely regarded as the most romantic day of the year, according to one expert.
"Around Valentine's Day, we observe a significant increase in couples eager to marry on the symbolic date of February 14," said Florian Ughetto, manager of Easy Wedding, who founded the company with his wife after facing difficulties finding someone to help organise their own wedding.
Growing demand
The increased interest in getting married at the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court is a reflection on the emirate's status as an attractive location for couples, both based here and from afar, seeking a civil wedding, said a senior official.
"This approach demonstrates Abu Dhabi’s commitment to accommodating individuals from different nationalities and cultures, while enhancing its competitiveness and appeal in attracting top talent and skilled professionals," said Yousef Al Abri, undersecretary of the Judicial Department.
"This is reinforced by modern laws that uphold cultural diversity and foster a well-structured, inclusive legal environment tailored to the needs of foreign residents."
The court in Abu Dhabi has already captured the imagination of couples from across the world, including celebrities. Lebanese actress Sara Abi Kanaan married her actor husband Wissam Fares at the venue last year.
The court was established in 2021 to hear all cases governed under a non-Sharia process. The court was launched with the aim of bringing the emirate into line with international legal practices.
Change of approach
The increase in demand for civil weddings in Abu Dhabi reflects wide-scale changes in how couples, both in the region and from further afield, approach married life, according to a leading lawyer in the sector.
Shabana Saleem, senior associate family barrister, said she has noted a 30 per cent rise in enquiries over the past two weeks, including specific requests for a civil marriage appointment on Valentine’s Day, and also from couples looking for information on pre-nuptial and post-nuptial. While pre-nuptial agreements where couples agree on financial and other terms before marriage are well documented, the post-nuptial agreement is less common.
As the name suggests, it is a contract agreed on after the wedding has taken place, when both spouses agree on financial terms in the event of a divorce. While both pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements are not new concepts, they were less associated with the Middle East region than other parts of the world. However that is changing, Ms Saleem says.
"In the last week alone, I’ve had significant inquiries from couples getting married within the next 14 days," she said. "Pre-nups or marriage agreements are no longer about protecting wealth, they’re about safeguarding the emotional and financial well-being of both partners.
“The heart of a pre-nup is essentially to give a couple the chance to have candid discussions about critical issues such as finances, children and the path forward if there is a divorce,” she said. "This becomes particularly important for expat families who face added layers of uncertainty.”
Weddings at Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court
Abu Dhabi GP weekend schedule
Friday
First practice, 1pm
Second practice, 5pm
Saturday
Final practice, 2pm
Qualifying, 5pm
Sunday
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps), 5.10pm
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
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Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
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