The United Arab Emirate, UAE, has issued its first civil marriage license for a non-Muslim couple as the Gulf country seeks to keep its edge over regional competitors.
The UAE, where foreigners make up 90 percent of the approximately
10-million population, has been amending its laws to present itself as a
modernising force in a largely conservative region.
The Canadian couple were the first to marry under a new law on the
personal status of non-Muslims in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi.
The move is seen to contribute to the consolidation of Abu Dhabi’s
position as a world leading destination for skills and expertise from
around the world.
Civil marriage in the Middle East, the birthplace of Islam, Christianity
and Judaism, is uncommon and usually conducted under a religious
authority of one of the three monotheistic beliefs.
