"Dubai Emerges as the New Destination for Express Mixed-Faith Weddings

Dubai is set to offer express marriages to tourists and residents alike, becoming the Middle East's answer to Las Vegas. The recent reforms allow couples of mixed faith to receive a civil wedding license in just 24 hours. The reforms were first introduced in Abu Dhabi last year, drawing in 6,000 couples. Dubai, being one of the world's most visited cities, will now also offer quickie weddings, which will help the Gulf state attract foreign investment and bolster its 9 million expats, who make up 90% of the population, including 250,000 British residents.

Laura Richards from London and her Muslim partner Ahmed Dallal from Lebanon are among the first couples to sign up for an express marriage in Dubai. The couple, both bankers, met in Dubai five years ago and were initially planning to marry in Cyprus. However, after hearing of the legal changes, they decided to marry in the city where they met. The reforms make life easier for mixed-faith couples, who were previously struggling to find a place to wed.

The reforms also help attract couples from diverse countries such as Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Israel, due to the speed at which they can get married. Abu Dhabi attracts roughly 30 weddings a day from around 180 nationalities, including mixed-faith couples coming from Israel. The recent secular laws in the UAE, which also include decriminalizing unmarried pregnancy and cohabitation, are seen as a political statement of modernity, acceptance, inclusion, respect, and tolerance.

Hesham El-Refai, a UAE legal expert, stated that the mandatory application of Sharia law on expats was a problem and continues to be in the rest of the region. The new reforms cover issues such as making civil inheritance equal, allowing for "no fault" divorce and bringing women into the courts as judges. The reforms are crucial in attracting the best talent and foreign investment, as El-Refai explained that "you can't attract the best talent and foreign investment without first having a secular family law."