‘Moutaa’, ‘Misyar’ or ‘confidential’ marriages
More than 20,000 marriages in the UAE are “misyar marriages”, according to a judge. He also pointed out that the men and women who choose such confidential marriages, are almost exclusively Arabs.
A misyar marriage is legal in the UAE. It is a contract under which the husband and wife give up several rights by their own free will, such as living together, equal division of nights between wives, the wife’s rights to housing, and maintenance money, and husband’s right of homekeeping and access etc.
