Marriage made easier for Dubai residents

DUBAI // Residents wishing to be married in Dubai no longer need to personally visit a court but can have a marriage notary perform the ceremony in their homes.

Previously, marriage notaries in Dubai only performed ceremonies for Emiratis or for expatriate couples who both have residencies.

But now expatriates from anywhere in the world and visitors to the emirate will be allowed to tie the knot, as long as one of the happy couple is a Dubai resident.

The new service will be combined with the e-zawaj - online marriage - service so that couples can apply online and not have to attend court.

The announcement, made yesterday by Judge Salem Obaid, the chief justice of the Dubai Personal Status Court, said that the court pushed this service as a convenience for the public and to reduce the number of applicants present at court.

amustafa@thenational.ae