The ultramodern city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dubai, is planning to introduce a law, allowing children to choose one of their parents as a guardian in divorce cases.
The new legislation will empower 15-year-old boys and 18-year-old girls (legal age) to decide whom they want to stay with, following a divorce.
Speaking about the current custodial procedure, the Head of the Family Reconciliation and Guidance Section at Dubai Courts and Chairman of the Custody Committee in Dubai, Ahmad Abdul Kareem, stated that the court tasks the committee to decide the custody of children and only takes their opinions.
Under the current process, a Committee Member in the Child Protection Unit of the Community Development Authority visits the custody-seeking applicant to review their social and economic conditions and determine if they will be able to bear the required living, educational, and health expenses of the children. The Member also ensures that the applicant doesn’t have any disease, which may endanger children’s lives.
Lastly, Abdul Kareem remarked that the parents must consider the best interests and wishes of their children and not engage them in divorce disputes.