UAE national men with special needs may be allowed to avail of the Dh70, 000 marriage grant if they choose to marry expat women, under a new amended law. The marriage grant, which is offered by the Marriage Fund Institution, is at present restricted to nationals who wish to marry national women. "As part of the new amendments, which cover 80 per cent of the previous marriage law, it might be permissible for national males who are disabled and wish to marry non-national females to benefit from the marriage grant offered by the fund," said Jamal bin Obeid Al Bah, General Director of the Fund.
| "Marry me, Susan, I have special needs!" |
Following a meeting with the Fund's Board of Directors, Mr. Bah yesterday told Khaleej Times that one of the amendments to the law included allowing national men in this category to get the grant even if they wish to marry expatriate women. He noted that one of the objectives of the amended law is to expand the categories of beneficiaries of the grant. "About 99.9 per cent of the amended law is ready to be forwarded to the Legislation Committee prior to be submitted to higher authorities for endorsement," said Mr Bah. He said under the new amendments, the fund would become an authority with more social powers. "As per the new law, the institution will be an authority that caters more to the needs of society, particularly controlling marriage of nationals to foreign women, in addition to other phenomena that are alien to UAE society," said Mr Bah.
| Treating a woman as equal under the law certainly is an alien concept in UAE society. |
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