Sharjah Ruler eases visitation rules for divorced fathers

Sharjah: His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has instructed the emirate’s judicial authorities to give judges wider discretion in custody cases, allowing divorced fathers to take their children outside designated visitation centres when it serves the children’s best interests.

The decision was announced during the ruler’s daily call-in programme Al Khat Al Mubasher (The Direct Line) on Sharjah Radio and Television, after a father called in to share his concerns over current visitation rules.

The man, identified only as Abu Hamdan, said that since his divorce he had been limited to meeting his children inside a supervised room at the Social Services Department. “It feels as though I am serving a sentence,” he said, describing the humiliation of not being able to take his children to visit relatives or enjoy outings.

Moved by his plea, Sheikh Sultan immediately directed the Sharjah Department of Justice to empower judges to assess custody arrangements on a case-by-case basis.

Under the new guidance, fathers will be able to take their children outside state facilities provided there is no history of abuse or violence.

“The welfare of children must always come first,” Sheikh Sultan said, adding that fathers also have the right to see their children “free from pressures.”