Parental Alimony in UAE Law

Amanah Al-Shami

Legal Researcher at Zayed Al-Shamsi Law Firm and Legal Consultations 

Alimony, at its core, is not merely paid from the pocket, but from the heart.
It represents a return to emotional justice, where repaying kindness becomes part of the sacred familial bond, and compassion is embedded in legislation not as an exception, but as a foundation.

The UAE law has succeeded in establishing the concept of parental alimony not on pity, but on justice — not as an obligation alone, but as an acknowledgment of the sacrifices made by those who toiled and nurtured.

Accordingly, the provisions of the new Federal Personal Status Law (Decree-Law No. 41 of 2024) explicitly stipulate the obligation of children to support their parents, provided the child is financially capable and the parents are in need.

The modern UAE law states that a well-off child is obligated to provide for his or her needy parents, and this support includes:

Food, clothing, housing, medical treatment, and all that is deemed necessary by Islamic law and local customs.

This is not merely a legal text, but a reinforcement of the UAE’s vision for family — a unit not solely biological, but a sustained network of mutual care that extends beyond childhood and into the twilight of those who gave selflessly.

Article (107) of the Personal Status Law outlines the conditions for parental alimony as follows:

1. A well-off child, whether male or female, adult or minor, must provide alimony to his or her parents if they have no means to spend on themselves.
2. If the parents’ income is insufficient to meet their needs, financially capable children are required to contribute the remaining amount.

From the above, the following conditions must be met for the entitlement of parental alimony:

1. The parents are unable to earn or have no sufficient financial resources.
2. The child is financially capable of providing support without harming their own well-being.
3. The alimony should be commensurate with the parents’ needs and aligned with local customs and living standards.

It’s also important to note:

• Parental alimony is distributed among children according to each one’s financial capability.
• If one child voluntarily provides for the parents, they cannot demand reimbursement from their siblings.
• However, if the alimony was paid under a legal judgment, that child may seek reimbursement from the others in proportion to the ruling, provided they spent with the intention to recover the amount.

Thus, in the new law, we read an ethical lesson even before a legal one.

Filial piety is not a choice… It is an obligation, when custom falls silent and justice speaks.