715 couples in UAE get married online in 4 months

More than 1,480 marriages were registered in the UAE from May to August this year, authorities have announced. About half of the couples tied the knot remotely due to Covid-19-triggered restrictions.

The Ministry of Justice has revealed that requests for new couples wanting to get married in the country increased this year. This came as the courts implemented a virtual marriage service as a precautionary measure against the spread of Covid-19.

Authorities said the Courts of First Instance across the country registered 1,488 marriage contracts in four months (May to August). About 715 marriages were registered remotely using visual communication systems. The 773 of marriages that happened at courts were done while adhering to social distancing and safety measures.

The Ministry of Justice had in April launched the online wedding service which allows Muslim couples to get married remotely. According to the ministry, the virtual knots are tied through online conferencing in the presence of a marriage cleric, bride, groom and their parents or guardians.

The service was introduced to protect the health of the public and that of people working in courts and to limit the presence of employees.

How it works

Couples intending to marry can benefit from the service by logging on to the ministry’s website — www.moj.gov.ae. They have to choose e-services option to enter the required data and register for the marriage service.

The service then allows residents to select a date for an online wedding ceremony. It conducts the wedding via video link with a cleric, provided all documentation and payment have been made and approved.

The procedure will see a cleric confirm the identity of the couple and witnesses, before a marriage certificate is relayed to a specialised court for validation.

The couple will receive confirmation of their marriage certificate via text message.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi