On 8 October 2026, the United Arab Emirates issued a Federal Decree-Law amending its Crimes and Penalties Law. Under the amendment, attempted suicide is no longer punishable. The reform finishes a shift that started in 2020. It also tightens the law for anyone who incites or assists suicide.
What has changed?
A person who attempts suicide no longer faces criminal liability under UAE federal law. The government says these cases will now be handled from a preventive, therapeutic and humanitarian perspective. It has set out four aims:
- reduce the fear of legal consequences;
- encourage people in psychological crisis to seek help early;
- improve early intervention; and
- improve the monitoring of cases and related data to support prevention programmes.
How we got here
Attempted suicide used to be an offence under Article 335 of the Federal Penal Code of 1987. The offence was then reported as Article 386 of Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021, which came into force on 2 January 2022. It carried up to six months’ imprisonment, a fine of up to AED 5,000, or both. Courts could order treatment instead of a penalty.
Reforms in November 2020 had already provided that acts causing only self-harm should lead to referral for treatment rather than criminal treatment. However, that model was discretionary, and confusion over the legal consequences remained. Other pressures also built up. These included international scrutiny after the 2024 case of Irish flight attendant Tori Towey, whose attempted suicide charge was dropped after diplomatic intervention. They also included wider investment in mental health, such as Federal Law No. 10 of 2023, and the government’s programme of legislative modernisation.
Tougher rules for third parties
Inciting or assisting suicide is still a crime, and the penalties now increase with the outcome:
- No serious harm: detention and/or a fine.
- Permanent disability, or incapacity for more than 20 days: three to five years’ imprisonment and a fine.
- Death: five to seven years’ imprisonment.
The offence is aggravated if the victim is under 18 or has diminished will or perception. If the victim lacks will or perception altogether, the offence is punished as intentional murder or attempted murder. Foreign nationals convicted of these offences must be deported. A court may exempt an offender who voluntarily prevents the death, unless serious harm has already resulted. The decree-law also amends Article 384(3) on qisas (retaliation in kind), setting a term of 15 to 20 years’ imprisonment where the victim’s heirs waive retribution.
What it means in practice
- Pending cases: Article 1 of the 2021 Law covers how later, more lenient laws apply. However, the effect on open investigations and past convictions will depend on the decree-law’s commencement provisions. People who are affected should take legal advice rather than assume their case has ended.
- Immigration and policy: The criminal-law basis for deportation on the ground of attempted suicide no longer exists. Employers, clinicians and insurers may need to update policies that assumed suicide attempts were criminal.
- Social impact: The reform should reduce stigma and make people less likely to hide suicidal thoughts. Its success depends on capacity, though. Clinicians point to shortages of psychiatrists and sub-specialists, and to a workforce that is about two-thirds nurses. Decriminalisation removes a barrier to care, but it does not create care by itself.
- Human rights: The law now treats people in crisis as patients rather than offenders. This lowers the risk of detention and travel restrictions like those in the Towey case. Two areas to watch are safeguards around any compulsory treatment and the protection of medical confidentiality as data collection expands.
The bottom line
The UAE has moved from treating attempted suicide as a misdemeanour, to judicial diversion, and now to removing liability altogether. At the same time, it has strengthened penalties for those who exploit vulnerable people. Practitioners should wait for the official text to confirm commencement and transitional arrangements. In the long run, the reform will only succeed with sustained investment in mental health services.
If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to a mental health professional or local support services.