Abu Dhabi opens court for non-Muslims to settle family disputes

A new court that specialises in settling personal cases of non-Muslim expats was inaugurated by Youssef Saeed Al Abri, Under-Secretary of Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD).

The move is part of the executive procedures to implement the law governing non-Muslim personal matters in the UAE capital, promulgated by President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in his capacity as Ruler of Abu Dhabi.

The step aims to provide a flexible and elaborate judicial mechanism to settle family disputes for non-Muslims, so as to enhance Abu Dhabi’s position and global competitiveness as one of the most attractive destinations for expertise and skills.

Al Abri explained that the establishment of the court is part of the continuous efforts being made to further develop the judicial system of the Abu Dhabi, in line with the directives of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Judicial Department of Abu Dhabi.

All related forms and procedures in the new court will be bilingual (Arabic and English), in order to facilitate the understanding of legal proceedings by foreigners and to strengthen transparency of the judicial system, Al Abri added.