Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, attended the country's first virtual mass wedding that saw more than 100 Emirati couples married on Saturday.
The wedding, organised by the Ministry of Community Development, was held simultaneously across five locations in Al Ain, Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with 20 bridegrooms in attendance at each venue.
Sheikh Mohammed attended through video conferencing and delivered a message of congratulations to the bridegrooms.
"Today, I witnessed the first virtual mass wedding in the country, with the participation of 100 brides in five different regions of the country," he said.
"Life continues and adapting to health conditions is necessary. The secret of having a blessed married life is in the simplicity of its beginnings."
Safety measures, including physical distancing and mandatory face masks, were maintained across each of the venues to protect those involved from the spread of Covid-19.
Mass weddings are encouraged in the UAE to reduce the financial burden of a large celebration on young people.
A 2017 study by Zayed University found the average cost of an Emirati wedding, including male and female wedding parties, engagement party and dowries to be around Dh683,000. Most of this is covered by the groom's family.
In the early 2000s the Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed, issued a maximum dowry limit of Dh50,000 for Emiratis. Dh20,000 of this is to be paid in advance when registering the marriage, and the Dh30,000 would be paid in case of divorce.
Between 1998 and 2020, more than 194 mass weddings were organised in the Emirates and attended by almost 10,000 people.
Restrictions remain in place on gatherings across the country. Wedding ceremonies can be held in Abu Dhabi but with no more than 10 people in attendance.
In Dubai, up to 200 people can attend a wedding if the hall is large enough to maintain social distancing. Other precautionary measures must be met to ensure the safety of those in attendance.
