Unmarried couples living together

Unmarried couples can legally live together in the United Arab Emirates. Cohabitation outside marriage was a crime until November 2020, when a presidential decree reformed the country’s penal and personal status laws.

Key facts

• Status: ban lifted; cohabitation is no longer a crime
• Old rule: Article 356 of the UAE Penal Code (Federal Law No. 3 of 1987)
• Changed: November 2020
• Also covered: unrelated men and women sharing a flat

What did the old law say?

Under Article 356 of the 1987 Penal Code, living together or having a relationship outside marriage could be punished with up to a year in prison, and foreigners could also face deportation. The rule did not only affect couples: unrelated men and women sharing an apartment were technically breaking the law too. In practice, authorities in Dubai rarely enforced it against foreigners, but the risk of punishment remained.

What changed in 2020?

The reforms announced on 7 November 2020 were among the biggest legal changes in the UAE’s history. Alongside allowing cohabitation, they decriminalised drinking alcohol for adults aged 21 and over, let foreign residents use their home country’s laws for divorce and inheritance, and removed lighter sentences for so-called “honour” crimes.

The UAE said the changes reflected its role as a home for millions of foreign residents, who outnumber citizens by roughly nine to one.

Is it legal to live together unmarried in Dubai now?

Yes. Living together unmarried is no longer a crime anywhere in the UAE. Other rules still apply, such as laws against public indecency, so behaviour in public places is a separate matter.

The same 2020 reforms also changed the rules on drinking alcohol without a licence. Neighbouring Saudi Arabia still prohibits alcohol, which shows how far apart Gulf rules can be.

General information, not legal advice. Check official UAE sources before you rely on it.