The simplest answer used to be NO!

Here everything you need to know if you are an unmarried couple living in Dubai.

Dubai laws for the unmarried couples living together

Dubai and other emirates in the UAE are governed by Islamic laws known as Sharia laws which used forbid two unmarried people of opposite sex to live together for many years. The ‘Tawajed Clause’ prohibited indeed two people from opposite sex to live together without being legally married.

Dubai attracts many tourists and expats from all over the world. No matter if you are visiting UAE as a tourist or if you are a long-term expat, the same law was being applied for everyone.

Dubai is a regional hub which attracts many people from different countries, origins, orientations and religions. Depending on the reason for being in the city, if someone is inviting his girlfriend or boyfriend to live with, it was illegal. However, most people who are coming to Dubai for a short-stay, like tourists, had no issue at all. Yet, if someone complained or if a couple got caught by law makers in Dubai, they were in great trouble and faced fine, jail or even deportation. In 2018, a 20 years old man and a 19 years old woman, both Pakistani, ‘were initially charged with having sex out of wedlock, but a medical examination found that they had not, Ajman Criminal Court was told.’

‘A young, unmarried couple have been jailed for a month and will be deported after completing the sentence after they were convicted of living together for three weeks and kissing’ Thenational.ae

To many couples’ relief in November 2020 the situation has changed. The UAE government has introduced the latest edition of the penal code which now officially allows people of different gender live together. However it’s important to not that delivering a baby out of the wedlock is still considered a crime in the UAE.

What type of marriages are legal in Dubai?

Not every marriage is considered legal and is accepted by Dubai law. Same–sex people, even if legally married back home, will face great difficulty if found in an inappropriate situation in Dubai.

UAE’s laws only recognize heterosexual marriages which have been registered and can be verified with legal certifications if needed. However, no one is going to ask you for a marriage certificate, unless you caught the attention of Dubai’s legislators.

Back home, marriages or religious marriages are only considered legal if you have proper marriage certification in your possession. Same-sex marriages are not recognized in UAE due to the Shariah law, even if a proper and valid certification has been issued in your home country.  

Final word on living with your boyfriend or girlfriend in Dubai

Are you considering coming to Dubai ? Are you planning to bring your partner to UAE to live together? It’s definitely great to know that now you won’t be a law-breaker and won’t get in trouble doing that.

And if you are planning to start a family and have kids together you don’t really need to organize a lavish marriage to officialize your relationship in front of the UAE authorities, a marriage certificate is enough to abide by the law to give a birth. You also do not need to get married in the UAE, if you have a marriage proof from your home country or any other country, this will be enough.

Do you know someone who used to struggle to live in the UAE as an unmarried couple? Share the happy news with them!

How did we choose the top 10 places to get your wedding in Georgia?

Are you looking to get the perfect wedding in Georgia? If you are looking to do it we made a small blog post for you. Those are our top 10 cities to get married in Georgia.

We are mainly focusing on the landscape, photoshoot & nice gathering. Not much on the paperwork side. If you are looking for a simple and cute wedding in Georgia, we may have another solution for you! Otherwise, let’s start!

Best place to get in married in Georgia – Tbilisi

It may sound odd, but Tbilisi is actually our favourite place to get married in Georgia. It is well located, has a lot of activities and a few very nice landscapes.

All the following gives you good options when it comes to photoshoot: Sulphur Baths, The Holy Trinity Cathedral, Mtatsminda Park, Cable car, Mother Georgia, Narikala Fortress, Metekhi Church, Funicular, Clock Tower, Anchiskhati Basilica, Peace Bridge, Botanical Gardens, Abanotubani.

2d best place to marry in Georgia – Mestia 

If you’re fine with driving about 470 km from Tbilisi, Mestia will give you a completely different vibe. You are not forced to do a full mountain hike, but if you want to get a nice feeling of outside & nice mountain pictures, that’s definitely a place to review.
Plus you can always finish by a 2-day hike in the surrounding areas!

3d best place to marry in Georgia -Telavi

Well, some people may disagree on this one at the 3d place. We mainly decided to keep it for 2 reasons: the wine factories and the castle. So don’t make it wrong, it’s not the city of love at all. It, however, has some nice places to get a photoshoot in a totally medieval look and feel!

4th best place for a wedding in Georgia – Stepantsminda

Ok, on this one we need to explain. The place itself has very little interest. You should either be there because you’re bored in Gudauri or because you are going to Kazbegi. You will have to drive about 160 km. But if you’re lucky and that the view is opened you will have an extraordinary view!

5th best place to marry in Georgia -Mtskheta

If you manage to pronounce the name properly, it is already a good point! The best will be to add some extra letter M -i- T -sré- A. Most of the Georgians will understand you. For the rest, just hope you won’t have to ask them.
The main reason for us to get Mtkrét, mitré, this lovely city is because of the view and the church. Both will make your photoshoot an awesome moment. By the way, take care as it’s always super windy!

6th best place for a wedding in Georgia – Sighnagi

Ok, ok, I know what you’re going to say. WTF… the city of love only in the 6th position?
The truth is that I am French (could explain some spelling mistakes on the way), so we cannot have 2 cities of love and we know which is the first one! But, because we are here to help you we have to show you Sighnagi.
Only far from Tbilisi by 100 km, this city has a lot of charm. A nice medieval touch, awesome food, and if you are lucky, awesome views!

The 7th best city to marry in Georgia -Batumi 

Ok, I have to confess, that I do not like too much Batumi. But this is more because I am French and I love the French riviera a lot. This being said, the 2d biggest cities in Georgia has a lot of things. From the nice streets to the sea view, you will find good spots for a perfect photoshoot!

The 8th place to get married in Georgia – Borjomi

To travel or relax, Borjomi will be definitely in the top 3 cities. But when it comes to getting married, well .. I will put it after the others. If you’re coming on a sunny day. Borjomi is just wonderful and has a lot to give! If you’re coming on a foggy day, you may end up less happy.

Our 9th favourite place for a wedding in Georgia – Zugdidi

Well, you’re now more on the bottom of the ranking. Getting married there won’t be as cool as the other ones. But the surrounding areas of Zugdidi are super nice. You will definitely have a good time!

10th best place to marry in Georgia -Vardzia

Vardzia is the ancient cave city of Georgia country, a complex of lobbies and rooms carved more than a thousand years ago. It will be a good adventure!

Quick tip: don’t forget to take a look at the legal checklist before you start planning your wedding in Georgia.

So what is your best place to get married in Georgia?

If you live together in the GCC, as we explained in the previous video, you may have three reasons to get married You may be looking to make your relationship official. You are planning to move together under the same roof. Or you would like to have a child. Any of those three reasons will lead you to looking for a wedding certificate. The question is where to get married when you need one.

So you have set the date for your wedding. You got your paperwork and the legal part sorted, and now planning a proper ceremony to celebrate. You’ve picked your venue, your wedding planner, your photographer and videographer etc, but you do not want to get married in a church. You want to get married on the beach, in the desert, in a garden, in a castle, on a yacht, a luxury hotel, in the forest or even a mountain top! You get where I’m going with this? What to do?