The United Arab Emirates has announced that drinking alcohol and cohabiting outside of marriage are to be allowed and so-called ‘honour killings’ criminalised in a major overhaul of the country’s Islamic personal laws.
The broadening of personal freedoms reflects the changing profile of a country that has sought to bill itself as a Westernised destination for tourists, fortune-seekers and businesses despite its strict Islamic legal code that has previously triggered court cases against foreigners.
