Abu Dhabi Court grants record Dh100m civil divorce settlement

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court has ruled on the largest reported no-fault divorce settlement in GCC history, approving a financial agreement exceeding Dh100 million ($27 million) for a foreign couple.

Originally married in the UK, the couple filed for divorce in Abu Dhabi, where the court granted the petition in under three weeks during a single hearing — under the swift provisions of the Civil Marriage Law No. 14 of 2021. This groundbreaking law, the first of its kind in the Arab region, governs family matters of non-Muslim expatriates, including civil marriage, no-fault divorce, wills, and inheritance.

The financial settlement was reached in coordination with a prominent UK family law firm, highlighting growing international trust in Abu Dhabi’s judicial system.

As the only court in the Gulf to operate bilingually in English and Arabic, with British-trained legal professionals, the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court is increasingly attracting high-net-worth individuals seeking modern, transparent, and equitable family law proceedings.