The UAE Authorities has issued Federal Decree-Legislation No. (12) of 2025, amending sure provisions regarding youngsters of unknown parentage as a part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen youngster welfare and social safety.
The amendments reaffirm “one of the best pursuits of the kid” as the elemental precept guiding all selections associated to care, custody and upbringing, whereas aligning with the UAE’s legislative strategy to constantly enhancing legal guidelines that defend and empower youngsters.
The Decree-Legislation displays the UAE’s dedication to making sure a secure, protected and supportive household setting that meets the psychological, instructional, well being and social wants of the kid.
Baby welfare within the UAE
It reinforces the nation’s path in direction of establishing an built-in and superior system that gives complete care for kids of unknown parentage, protects their rights, and preserves their id and privateness, enabling their optimistic integration into society.
Beneath the amendments, custody could also be granted to households residing within the UAE, topic to particular situations. Foremost amongst these is that the applying should be collectively submitted by each spouses and that every has accomplished 25 years of age.
These necessities are supposed to make sure maturity, accountability and the capability to offer a secure household setting that fulfils the kid’s developmental wants.
The detailed situations and controls governing residency throughout the UAE will likely be referred to the chief laws, guaranteeing that the custodial household setting conforms to permitted requirements for custody and supplies the best ranges of look after the adopted youngster.
Custodial duties
The Federal Decree-Legislation establishes a complete framework regulating the function of custodial households, together with duties associated to schooling, well being and psychological follow-up, and compliance with guidelines designed to guard the kid’s pursuits, privateness and id.
The amendments additionally introduce mechanisms for periodic monitoring and analysis of custodial households by a specialised committee.
These measures are supposed to make sure continuity and high quality of care, strengthen accountability, and confirm that custodial environments stay in line with permitted requirements.
According to the UAE’s dedication to selling ladies’s social function and their involvement in household care, the amendments permit custody of a kid of unknown parentage to be granted to an eligible lady.
The girl should reside within the UAE, have accomplished 30 years of age, and be financially able to supporting herself and the adopted youngster.
This provision expands custody choices whereas guaranteeing that selections prioritise the kid’s greatest pursuits and empower ladies to fulfil their social and humanitarian roles.
Safeguards and corrective measures
The place the specialised committee determines {that a} breach shouldn’t be severe, it might impose a corrective plan that the custodial household or lady custodian should implement throughout the situations and timelines specified by the committee, guaranteeing continuity of care inside a protected and secure setting that protects the kid’s rights and meets their wants.
The amendments underscore the UAE’s dedication to enhancing its youngster safety framework in keeping with its social and humanitarian values, reinforcing the ideas of justice, compassion and household empowerment.
The Federal Decree-Legislation displays the UAE’s resolve to make sure that youngsters of unknown parentage obtain dignified and complete care that permits their optimistic integration into society and ensures equal alternatives for development and studying, reinforcing the nation’s place as a world mannequin in social safety and humanitarian care.
