New Children’s Rights in the United Arab Emirates

UAE has always a significant commitment to children’s wellbeing and the protection. Therefore, UAE has always expanded its commitment to wellbeing of children, by introducing legal reforms that strengthen children’s rights across several sectors including healthcare, education, protection, and family law. For example, WADEEMA LAW, along with the 2025 Personal Status Law and recent family law reforms.

UAE has taken the initiative to ensure children’s wellness and betterment. It is one of the key priorities of UAE. This is done because of the commitment towards introducing historic legal reforms in UAE family law. Federal Law No. 3 of 2016, also known as WADEEMA’s Law brings a huge reformation in Children Law in United Arab Emirates.

The prime goal is to ensure child protection in UAE. The updates in the current family law undermine the UAE’s determination to align international best practices with federal and local regulations. Therefore, the UAE has introduced several new reforms according to the UN conventions on children’s rights. Such efforts address the evolving societal needs of current times.

Wadeema Law of 2016 specifically addresses the children’s rights law in UAE. It is also known as Federal Law no 3 of 2016. Formally, it is also called WADEEMA law that stands as the backbone of UAE child protection law. The law contains some core principles. The prime basis of Wadeema law is to guarantee a dignified and respectful life for the child. It also covers the social care and protection of a child against violence, abuse, coercion, negligence, and more.

Additionally, it ensures the children have full access to the necessities of life including food, clothing, housing, education, and rehabilitation services. The law focuses on honoring the privacy rights of an individual. It also emphasizes participation, cultural protection, and security from exploitation. The law supports the establishment of child protection units across the UAE. They facilitate policy coordination and broad public awareness campaigns. The key objective is to promote child welfare at all times in UAE.

According to the recent Family Law Reforms in 2025, there have been changes to the custody and travel rights of a child. The federal decree law No. 41 of 2024 was officially effective from the middle of April 2025. It overhauls the Personal Status Law. The previous Federal Law No. 28 of 2005 was superseded to ensure improved child protection. The main reason is to deliver an enhanced child-centric reform.

According to the reforms, they extended custody to the age of 18 regardless of gender. Besides, the children who are aged 25 plus have the full right to choose their preferred custodial parent in the UAE.

Moreover, there are equal travel rights for both parents. They can freely travel with their children for up to 60 days in a year. All they need to do is to ensure court extensions and court orders.

Furthermore, Non-Muslim mothers can now retain child custody beyond age 5. However, it is subject to best interests assessment. UAE family courts now provide educational guardianship with more precision, clarity, and timeframes.

UAE has focused on strengthening its law to safeguard children not only offline but also online. The Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on anti-rumors and Cybercrimes has officially criminalized all kinds of online abuse. It also criminalizes the cyber bullying, and digital offenses targeting minors and children. Additionally, the Federal Decree-Law No. 24 of 2023 combats human trafficking including child trafficking. It has introduced more harsher and elevated penalties. This is done to prevent child exploitation.

WADEEMA Law also explicitly prohibits child sexual exploitation and also safeguards minors and children from employment below the tender age of 15. These UAE efforts underscore the UAE policy towards global child safety standards.

In today’s modern world, the UAE has taken the route for new reforms in child rights. This is a major stride towards prioritizing children’s protection. UAE has a comprehensive legal environment that has many complexities. From, extended custody protection to empowering the child, family lawyers in the UAE are indispensable. Lawyers assistance is much needed in conflicts.

The family laws do involve the complicated cross-border custody and cyber aspects that require legal guidance. The family attorneys in UAE ensure the optimal legal outcome along with child protection. Family law prioritizes the child’s best interests in all decisions. They offer psychological and social support made available under Wadeema’s framework.