UAE nationals have been advised to not marry foreign women due to social, legal and financial complications that arise following such marriages, said a renowned lawyer.

Speaking at the Noor Dubai Radio, Isa bin Haider, CEO of Bin Haider Advocates & Legal Consultants in the UAE, said there are a large number of cases pending before the courts due to such marriages.

He pointed out that young men marry foreign women not to make family but to get rich. But if the husband's income gets depleted, foreign wives create problems, which lead to court cases.

Bin Haider urged UAE youth to marry Emarati women who follow the same traditions and customs as men.

He also advised young nationals not to make big commitments with regard to alimony at the time of marriage and follow the rules.

He said a decree by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, fixed it at  Dh50,000, which applies only in case of marriages with Emirati women.

While the marriages of UAE nationals with foreign women will be subject to what was agreed upon in the marriage contract with regard to alimony.

Bin Haider also informed that second marriages have additional financial burdens, leading young men deeper into debt.

He called for dialogues between couples and urged resorting to solving family problems through discussions and listening to other party’s concerns. He emphasised that if a husband listens to a wife’s grievances, it will help solve a number of family problems and will lead to a happy life.

According to the National Center for Statistics, most of the marriages by UAE nationals with foreign wives end in divorce. For instance, there were 1,798 marriages with foreigners in UAE last year, and 695, or 39 per cent, of these marriages ended in divorce.