Engagement gifts classified under Federal Decree-Law 41 of 2024

Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2024 on the Personal Status Law regulates engagement gifts under Articles 13 to 15. Article 13 establishes that everything presented by either engaged party to the other during engagement is deemed a gift unless the fiancé proves it was dowry or customarily considered part of dowry. Article 14 permits return of gifts conditional on marriage when the engagement ends by withdrawal. Valuable gifts each exceeding AED 25,000 are returnable if they still exist; if not, their equivalent or value on the day of receipt applies. Consumable gifts—food, flowers, perfume already used—are excluded from return rights. Gifts are not returnable if the engagement ends by death or for a reason beyond either party's control. Dowry follows Article 15 if properly classified. Classification depends on value, purpose, any marriage condition, custom, continued existence, and contemporaneous evidence such as messages, receipts, invoices, photographs, and witness statements.