A ruling allowing non-Emirati couples and single women to foster children in the UAE has been hailed as a crucial pathway to welcoming more children into loving homes.
Expatriate couples in the Emirates welcomed the significant update to UAE law, which they say will prioritise the child’s welfare and expand the number of families able to provide a stable, nurturing environment for those in need.
Fostering children had previously been limited to Emirati Muslim married couples and Emirati Muslim women aged between 30 and 50.
The amendment means any married couple, both of whom are over 25, can apply to foster a child, regardless of nationality or religion. Women over 30 can also apply to become foster parents, with no upper age limit.
“This law is crucial because it opens a door of hope for couples like us who face medical challenges in having children,” Mark Ustare, 40, an Abu Dhabi resident, told The National.
The Filipino and his wife Sally live in the UAE with their biological son, seven, and adopted son, 16, and have known the pain and loss of a miscarriage.
“My wife has a heart condition, which makes pregnancy extremely difficult and risky," he said. "Fostering would allow us to share the love we have for children and to expand our family in a meaningful and safe way.
"It also gives children the opportunity to experience the nurturing, stability and affection that come from being part of a loving home.”
Children the priority
The couple have been living in the UAE for more than a decade and are happy that the new law makes clear that expatriates can foster and support children.
“Many expatriate families wish to foster but have been uncertain about how it can be done while living in the UAE,” Mr Ustare said. “For expats, this law provides clarity, structure and legal protection throughout the fostering process.
"With this law, expats finally have a clear and secure pathway to helping children be part of a loving family, ensuring the child’s welfare is prioritised and parents’ rights protected.”
The family is keen to take on the role of foster carers. “Given our circumstances and the losses we have experienced, fostering is something we sincerely hope to pursue,” he said. “It aligns with our desire to provide love, care and stability to a child who needs a home.”
Another Dubai family who have adopted a child said providing foster care gave residents the chance to make a "meaningful contribution".
“It’s beautiful, also timely, because next year has been announced as the ‘year of the family’,” said a Dubai mum, who did not want to be identified. I have friends and family who wanted to walk the path of adoption or fostering and that has not been available to them in this part of the world.
"To include expats is a great, positive step in the right direction. The government has made it possible for families who are not Muslim to give a suitable home to a child. It’s amazing because it gives a child an opportunity to come into somebody’s home and get a sense of family which that child would not have had access to.”
Ray of hope
Dubai resident Rhiannon Downie Hurst, who had recently been looking into how she could foster as an expatriate, said the new law is "incredible".
"It’s going to give so many children hope, stability and the chance to be placed with the right families during really difficult circumstances," she said. "I was literally just talking to a friend about this the other day, how expats previously couldn’t foster, and how heartbreaking that felt when there are so many loving, settled families here who would happily open their homes."
It is not a responsibility people should take lightly, she added. Forster parenting "needs to be done under stringent checks, proper assessments and ongoing support. These children deserve nothing less," she said.
Positive step
Dr Ashley Gibson, a UK-trained senior clinical psychologist at Genesis Healthcare Centre in Dubai, who has experience working with fostered and adopted children, agreed. “I see this as a positive policy shift that has the potential to significantly improve outcomes for vulnerable children in the UAE,” she told The National.
“However, for it to be effective long term, it must be supported by robust assessment processes, trauma-informed training for foster carers, and access to ongoing psychological and social care services. Without these structures, even well-intentioned placements may become unstable for both the child and family.”
Ultimately, fostering is about offering a child safety, consistency and belonging, said Dr Gibson. "If this law can help more children experience family life rather than institutional care, while being properly supported, then it represents a significant step forward for child well-being in the UAE.
"The success of the law will be measured not by how many families apply to foster, but by how well children’s emotional, psychological and developmental needs are cared for after the placement begins."
This means monitoring, support and safeguarding must remain at the centre of its implementation, she added.
For anyone considering fostering a child, Dr Gibson said prospective carers need to look beyond the legal process. “It is important to reflect on emotional readiness, support networks and willingness to access training around trauma and attachment," she said. "Having the right professional and systemic support around foster carers is crucial in helping children feel safe, secure and emotionally held.”
Stable home
One criticism of the new law has been that expatriates cannot provide a stable home as citizens in the UAE.
Mai Elsayed, however, another Dubai resident who had been considering fostering, said stability is not defined by citizenship.
"Many expats have lived here for years. They build their homes here, raise families here, create careers here and contribute to the community every day," she said.
"Stability comes from the life you create, the values you live by and your commitment to a child’s well-being. With the right checks and support systems in place, expat families can be just as steady, loving and dependable."
Dr Gibson said fostered children can thrive in culturally diverse families "when their heritage, identity and life story are actively supported and celebrated".
However, without this, they may experience increased confusion and distress around belonging and identity, she added. "Expat fostering works can be deeply enriching, but only when care is taken to ensure a nurturing environment that balances emotional safety with cultural continuity."
