Blood Money Compensation (Diya) in UAE

Blood Money Compensation (Diya) in UAE

By Published On: February 27, 2025Views: 164

Blood Money Compensation is also known as Diya in Arabic. It is a concept that is narrated in the Holy Quran of Muslims. It is widely practiced in Muslim countries and even in many other nations that have adopted the concept of Diya. It refers to the permitting for the monetary or financial compensation paid to the survivors and family members of the individual. It is very common in cases like death, accident, homicide, injury, and others. Our lawyers and legal consultants are very much experts for the understandings of such topics. We are a leading Dubai Law Firm with top UAE national lawyers. We have top lawyers in United Arab Emirates.

In UAE, Blood Money Compensation is properly defined in UAE’s legal framework. The concept is extracted from the Islamic law. UAE legal structure is an amalgamation of sharia principles and international best practices. Blood money is a payment made to the family of victims in various cases. A lot of UAE Law is derived and extracted from Islamic Sharia Law. It may be given in cases such as manslaughter, murder, homicide, Bodily injury or disability, accidents resulting in fatalities, and more. In this, the prime importance is the willingness of the victims. The pardon from the victim’s family is required to proceed to the concept of Diya.

DIYA: Monetary Compensation

Diya gives another opportunity to the perpetrator to seek forgiveness or compensation by paying the survivors a substantial amount of money. In the UAE legal system, it is a lucrative alternative to the concept of Justice or Qisas. Under this concept, it is up to the victims to seek retaliation or monetary compensation. Blood Money Compensation allows for justice and monetary support for the victims, survivors, and family members of the individual. Under this concept, the two parties are given a chance for reconciliation and moving forward.

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Justice and Fairness

According to Islamic law, it brings justice, fairness and transparency. Moreover, the chance of reconciliation, margin, and mercy is given to the culprit upon certain conditions. It is a widely practices concept that is also an integral part of the UAE legal framework. The Federal Decree-law and the UAE penal Code elaborate on the concept of Diya with many legal provisions. Moreover, it forms part of UAE traffic laws for severe and fatal road accidents. UAE labor laws for workplace death and injuries also contain the legal provisions for.
Besides, the UAE courts play a crucial role here. They are responsible for determining the application and amount of Diya. They also account for the nature of the case and the severity of the offense. The payment amount is not a fixed amount but instead of a proportion of the standard Diya AED 200000 decided by a medical evaluation. One of the main things to analyze is whether it is intentional unintentional or accidental. According to the legal provision, there are some standards set for Blood Money.

UAE Federal Laws

According to the UAE federal laws, the minimum Diya amount is established at AED 200,000. This figure is approximately $54,500 US dollar. This is a substantial amount that is applicable to the various cases of wrongful death, injuries, or accidental fatalities.

  • The government of UAE and Sharia principles is used to derive the Blood money amount. This is the minimum amount which may differ depending upon the severity of the crime and the financial condition of the defendant. Additionally, the factors like judicial discretion also play a crucial role here.

How it is offered?

Blood Money is offered in different situations and scenarios including traffic accidents. Blood money is quite common in traffic accidents. Most of the blood money claims in the Emirates are related to road traffic accidents. According to the UAE traffic laws, the driver is held responsible for the accident and any loss of life. Therefore, it is up to the driver to pay the required money to the victim’s heirs. Usually, the insurance companies in the UAE cover blood money if the driver is insured.

Driving under DUI influence

Under UAE traffic laws, the drivers of Driving under the influence DUI and reckless driving are bound to pay the full amount by themselves. Blood Money Compensation is also part of the Medical sector.

Medical Malpractice

In case of medical malpractices, the doctors, practitioners, and hospitals are responsible for paying blood money amount to the victim’s offspring in case of death. They are held liable for their actions.
This is covered under the UAE Medical Liability Law. The law regulates medical negligence cases in the UAE. The UAE courts are responsible for determining the extent of negligence of healthcare providers that have caused fatalities.

Medical Insurance

Medical insurance also covers the blood money amount. However, it will also depend on the policy and terms of conditions of the insurance policy. Blood Money Compensation is also given to the injured workers. Workplace accidents are also eligible for Diya. As per the UAE labor law, the employers are held liable for the safety of the employer at the workplace. Therefore, if in case the worker dies due to any accident or faced injuries, the employer is responsible to pay blood money amount. It is paid along with other job compensations that are separate from blood money. It is distinct from labor compensations are clearly defined in UAE labor laws.
According to the UAE labor laws, insurance coverage is necessary for the employees by the employer.

Concept is also used in Criminal Cases in UAE

The concept of Blood Money is also used in criminal cases in UAE. In cases of manslaughter, murder, homicide, and others UAE courts will award the blood money amount. Mostly the courts will provide the victims with 2 options or more. They can go for proper justice and seek justice by punishing the culprit. An alternative to it is Diya. The victim’s family is offered the option to pardon the offender and seek a monetary settlement. This prevents the defendant from capital punishment. The offender voluntarily offers the blood money to the victims as a settlement.

Ending Note

The blood money amount is determined and considered some crucial factors. It will account for the severity of the crime, and circumstances of the crime, and ultimately, judicial rulings will play a decisive role. In the UAE, the blood money amount is decided by the court. The UAE courts will decide about the payment to the victim’s family. In the case of Blood Money Compensation, full payments are required. There is no room for partial, quarter, or half payments. In case, the defendant fails to pay the Blood money amount, this will lead to capital punishments and strict penalties and punishments. It can result in lifetime imprisonment and further stern legal actions. For further or additional details, please contact our lawyers and legal consultants. We are leading lawyers and legal consultants in Dubai offering the services all over the UAE.