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UAE court sentences man to prison, fines him Dh5 million for inciting underage marriage
Investigations in the case have confirmed that the man used rhetoric capable of stirring sedition, hatred and societal discrimination
- PUBLISHED: Wed 20 May 2026, 6:32 PM UPDATED: Thu 21 May 2026, 6:12 PM
A 50-year-old Emirati man who promoted marrying girls as young as 14 in Morocco was convicted by a court in Abu Dhabi and sentenced to three years in jail and a Dh5 million fine. Other legal measures were also taken in the case, which constituted a serious violation of UAE laws.
The convict, Saif Salem Saif Ali Al Muqbali, appeared in a social media video spreading false claims that Moroccan laws permit marrying girls at this age and inciting underage marriage in the North African country. Abu Dhabi's Federal Court of Appeal, State Security Chamber, found that Al Muqbali's online content harms the fraternal relations between the Emirati and Moroccan peoples.
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The sentence was announced after UAE Attorney General Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi ordered him to stand trial in expedited proceedings. Investigations confirmed that Al Muqbali used rhetoric capable of stirring sedition, hatred, and societal discrimination, constituting a serious violation of UAE's deeply rooted societal values.
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List of charges
According to the UAE Public Prosecution, Al Muqbali faced three main charges:
First charge:
He published a video online containing false information and inflammatory propaganda promoting the marriage of underage girls in Morocco as young as 14. He also falsely claimed Moroccan laws allow underage marriages. The content was deemed to provoke public opinion and harm the public interest and the relationship between the UAE and Morocco.
Second charge:
He published online content that violates societal standards and values, as the post was considered offensive to the image of Emirati society and Emirati men. It portrayed Emiratis negatively.
Third charge:
He published discriminatory and offensive speech online, including statements that stirred discord, hatred, and social discrimination, while also insulting Moroccan women and involving their names in content that violated the law and humanitarian values.
Legal action
Three years in prison
Dh5 million fine
The removal of the offensive video
Closing his social media accounts
Confiscation of the phone used to post the video
Child marriage in Morocco
In the Muslim-majority Morocco, the minimum age of marriage is 18 for men and women, but judges can grant exemptions in some cases.
In December 2024, the government presented draft reforms to the family code “Moudawana,” including granting women equal rights with men in child custody and guardianship in the case of divorce, raising the minimum age for child marriage exemptions to 17, according to Human Rights Watch.
Yasmin Hussein is an Assistant Digital Editor who believes that every news story carries a human element. Her motto is 'get it first, but first get it right'.