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Expatriates living in the United Arab Emirates may soon have to undergo compulsory pre-nuptial medical tests before getting married.
A top health official at the Ministry of Health said in Abu Dhabi that the ministry has prepared a draft bill to make it compulsory for both nationals and expatriates to go through pre-nuptial tests.
At present, it is mandatory only for nationals to undergo the tests for HIV/Aids, Hepatitis B and sexually transmitted diseases, as a prerequisite for getting married.
Once endorsed, the federal law will make it compulsory for both nationals and expatriates to also undergo medical tests for genetic diseases, namely thalassaemia and sickle cell anemia, in addition to the aforesaid tests, the official told the Khaleej Times daily.
The move aims at checking the spread of genetic diseases, which have registered a sharp increase in the country in the last few years.