UAE amends law concerning children of unknown parentage

The UAE Government has issued a Federal Decree-Law No. (12) of 2025 amending certain provisions concerning children of unknown parentage.

The amendments reflect the UAE’s commitment to strengthening its child protection framework and reaffirming "the best interests of the child” as the fundamental principle guiding all decisions related to care, custody and upbringing.

The Federal Decree-Law aligns with the UAE’s legislative approach to continuously enhance laws related to child welfare and empowerment, ensuring responsiveness to societal developments and guaranteeing a stable, safe, and supportive family environment that meets the psychological, educational, health and social needs of the child.

The Decree-Law reinforces the UAE’s direction of establishing an integrated and advanced system that provides comprehensive care for children of unknown parentage, protects their rights, and preserves their identity and privacy, enabling their positive integration into society.

The amendments provide that custody may be granted to families residing in the United Arab Emirates, subject to specific conditions, foremost that the application must be jointly submitted by both spouses and that each must have completed 25 years of age. These requirements ensure maturity, responsibility and the capacity to provide a stable family environment that fulfils the child’s developmental needs.

The amendments refer the detailed conditions and controls governing residency within the UAE to the executive regulations, ensuring that the custodial family environment conforms to approved standards for custody and provides the highest levels of care for the adopted child.

The Federal Decree-Law establishes a comprehensive framework regulating the role of custodial families, including responsibilities related to education, health and psychological follow-up, and compliance with rules designed to protect the child’s interests, privacy and identity.

In an effort to expand custody options and in line with the UAE’s commitment to promoting women’s social role and their involvement in family care, the amendments allow custody of a child of unknown parentage to be granted to an eligible woman who resides in the UAE, has completed 30 years of age, and is financially capable of supporting herself and the adopted child. This ensures that custody decisions prioritise the child’s best interests and empower women to fulfil their social and humanitarian roles.

The amendments also include mechanisms for periodic monitoring and evaluation of custodial families and women custodians by a specialised committee, ensuring the continuity and quality of care, strengthening accountability, and verifying that the environment remains consistent with approved custodial standards.

In cases where any of the custody conditions are no longer met, or where legal obligations have been breached, the amendments permit the removal of the adopted child from the custodial family or woman custodian.

Where the specialised committee determines that the breach is not serious, it may impose a corrective plan that the custodial family or woman custodian must implement within the conditions and timelines specified by the committee, ensuring continuity of care within a safe and stable environment that protects the child’s rights and meets their needs.

These amendments underscore the UAE’s commitment to enhancing its child protection framework in line with its social and humanitarian values, reinforcing the principles of justice, compassion and family empowerment.

The Federal Decree-Law reflects the UAE’s resolve to ensure that children of unknown parentage receive dignified and comprehensive care that enables their positive integration in society and guarantees equal opportunities for growth and learning within a safe and stable family environment.

This legislative development forms part of the UAE’s integrated approach to protecting children’s rights, improving their quality of life, and ensuring a better future for future generations, reinforcing the UAE’s position as a global model in social protection and humanitarian care.

WAM