The UAE Government has issued Federal Decree-Law No. (12) of 2025, amending certain provisions concerning children of unknown parentage as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen child welfare and social protection.
The amendments reaffirm “the best interests of the child” as the fundamental principle guiding all decisions related to care, custody and upbringing, while aligning with the UAE’s legislative approach to continuously enhancing laws that protect and empower children.
The Decree-Law reflects the UAE’s commitment to ensuring a stable, safe and supportive family environment that meets the psychological, educational, health and social needs of the child.
Child welfare in the UAE
It reinforces the country’s direction towards 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.
Under the amendments, custody may be granted to families residing in the UAE, subject to specific conditions. Foremost among these is that the application must be jointly submitted by both spouses and that each has completed 25 years of age.
These requirements are intended to ensure maturity, responsibility and the capacity to provide a stable family environment that fulfils the child’s developmental needs.
The detailed conditions and controls governing residency within the UAE will be referred 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.
Custodial responsibilities
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.
The amendments also introduce mechanisms for periodic monitoring and evaluation of custodial families by a specialised committee.
These measures are intended to ensure continuity and quality of care, strengthen accountability, and verify that custodial environments remain consistent with approved standards.
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.
The woman must reside in the UAE, have completed 30 years of age, and be financially capable of supporting herself and the adopted child.
This provision expands custody options while ensuring that decisions prioritise the child’s best interests and empower women to fulfil their social and humanitarian roles.
Safeguards and corrective measures
The amendments permit the removal of an adopted child from the custodial family or woman custodian in cases where any custody conditions are no longer met or where legal obligations have been breached.
Where the specialised committee determines that a 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.
The 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 into society and guarantees equal opportunities for growth and learning, reinforcing the country’s position as a global model in social protection and humanitarian care.
