Living in Abu Dhabi

The Ceremony

While the wedding must be conducted in either a church, court or at your embassy, you have a large choice of where to have a wedding blessing and the reception. Many couples choose to have a small church ceremony and then celebrate at one of the luxury hotels, on the beach or even aboard a yacht.

Christians living in Abu Dhabi can get married at St Andrew’s Church, near The British School in Al Mushrif (02 446 1631). Anglican wedding ceremonies can also take place at the Holy Trinity Church, Dubai, at Christ Church in Jebel Ali, Dubai or St Martin’s Church in Sharjah, all of which are recognised by the UAE government. Ministers from the Anglican Church can also marry people at other approved locations.

Roman Catholic marriages can take place at St Joseph’s Cathedral on Airport Road in Abu Dhabi (02 446 1929). 

Hindu marriages are conducted by the maharaj at Dubai’s Hindu Temple in Bur Dubai.

Fees for a church wedding are around Dhs.2,000 and you can get get married on any day of the week if a minister/vicar is available. You will typically need two or three witnesses who are UAE residents. Couples from any religion can also get married at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department.

There are certain conditions you have to meet for a church wedding:
  • At least one member of the couple has to have been baptised.
  • At least one of the couple must have a UAE residence visa; expats on a visit visa cannot get married in the UAE.
  • Both people must be aged 18 or over.
In nearly all cases, a marriage that is legally performed in the UAE will be recognised elsewhere in the world, but it’s always best to check. In order to register the marriage, marriage certificates have to be translated into Arabic before being submitted to the Abu Dhabi Judiciary Department, Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for attestation and finally taken to your embassy to record and legalise the marriage in the home country.

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