RAK marriage contracts to be electronic by year end

Effective by the end of this year 2016, no more handwritten marriage contracts will be issued here, and these will be initially keyed into the RAK Courts system, and then printed out. 
All marriage contractors in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah will have to go through one-month training, on two shifts a day, to master the new electronic system which is to be interconnected with the Emirates ID card system. 
Hassan Yusuf, Chief Judge of the RAK Court of First Instance, said the new e-contracts will save time, effort, and cut the number of due procedures, particularly those needed for attestation. 
"Applicants for marriage will have to attest no more bridal contracts, as this process will be automatically done in an electronic way after the marriage contractor keys in the data required, and easily print out the contract." 
Yusuf, who also chairs the marriage contractors committee in the RAK Courts, said all the marriage contractors in the emirate will be equipped with advanced tablets that have fillable marriage contracts templates already installed in.
"These devices will be connected with the internet so as to help save and instantly send the details of these contracts to the RAK Courts system after being signed by the husband and wife's guardian." 
When the documents submitted get verified, an SMS shall be sent to the mobile phone of the husband to inform him that the marriage procedures have been successfully completed, he explained. 
Yusuf Rajab, Chief Judge of the RAK Court of Appeal, said every contractor will also have an Emirates ID card reader. "This will facilitate the entry of the couple, guardian, and witnesses' data and save the time needed for writing down their details." 
The conversion of regular handwritten marriage contracts into electronic ones will give a boost to the entire bridal procedures, he underlined. "It will become easier and faster to get an error-free copy of these." 
Rajab, who is also a member of the marriage contractors committee, said the same system was a big success in Abu Dhabi. "The contractor needs first to examine and verify the submitted documents, a copy of which will be attached to the marriage contract."
However, handwritten contracts will not be stopped unless the contractors have full command of the new system, he stated. "Should the contractor fail to key in the data in the system, he will have to handwrite the data, and then key the same into the RAK Courts system when possible."
Alia Khamis, head of the marriage contractors section, RAK courts, said every contractor will be provided with a smart case including a tablet, printer, and EID card reader. "The new system accepts payment through e-dirham and visa card."
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com 

• Ras Al Khaimah