A woman has filed for a landmark divorce settlement of Dh1 billion at Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court.
The motion was filed by a 39-year-old from the Caribbean, who was married for 20 years before she and her husband began divorce proceedings in April, citing irreconcilable differences.
“I have a deep and unwavering belief in the UAE’s judicial system,” said AM, the woman who filed the claim and has five children. “We’ve lived in the UAE for almost 18 years and built our empire here. My children were born and raised in this country – it’s our home, and I have so much respect for it and for the process currently under way in court.”
The Dh1 billion claim does not include child support, which is being addressed separately. Earlier this year, an American woman in the UAE was awarded more than Dh100 million ($27.2 million) in a divorce settlement by Abu Dhabi's Civil Family Court.
The payout is believed to currently be the largest to an expatriate woman in a no-fault divorce case by the court, which was established in December 2021.
Byron James, partner at Expatriate Law, who is AM's lawyer, said the significance of the case is not in the potential payout, but what it represents.
“Abu Dhabi is emerging as not just as an alternative, but as a preferred destination for resolving high-value international divorces,” said Mr James.
“The UAE's family court system is now being seen as efficient, sophisticated, technology focused but deeply human, all qualities that are becoming increasingly important to clients at the very top end of the global spectrum.”
The court was opened to hear all cases under a non-Sharia process, including Muslims who are not UAE citizens, to bring the capital into line with international legal practices. As a result of a decision made last year, non-Emirati lawyers are allowed to represent clients in Abu Dhabi's civil court. Previously, only Emirati lawyers could operate in the country's courtrooms.
Since its inception, the court has processed more than 43,000 civil marriage applications – including over 10,000 in the first half of 2025 alone. Nearly 20 per cent of applicants are tourists, reflecting Abu Dhabi’s increasing profile as a centre for legal marriage and family law services.
Youssef Saeed Al Abri, undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, said the case reflects growing global trust in the UAE’s civil justice framework.
“This unprecedented claim is a clear testament to the global confidence in Abu Dhabi’s civil justice system. The Civil Family Court has redefined how family disputes are resolved in the region – through fairness, speed, modern court procedures and full accessibility for expats of all nationalities and religions.”
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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