UAE Announces Change in Abortion Law

An amendment to existing UAE legislation has streamlined the process for medical professionals to perform abortions when the mother’s life is at risk. This alteration, hailed by legal experts in the country, places the pregnant woman squarely in control of her healthcare decisions.

Hadiel Hussein, a senior associate at BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates LLP, explained that the amendment modified previous provisions to specify that only the pregnant woman’s consent, rather than her husband’s, is necessary to proceed with an abortion procedure, subject to certain conditions.

Under the new regulation, if a woman is unable to provide consent, her husband or, in his absence, male relatives defined by the Personal Status Law, must consent to the abortion procedure. Notably, consent is not required in emergency cases necessitating immediate surgical intervention.

Medical practitioners are authorized to perform abortions in two scenarios: when the continuation of the pregnancy jeopardizes the mother’s life or when fetal deformity is confirmed. However, stringent conditions must be met in both cases, as stipulated by the law.