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The UAE government has removed criminal liability for attempted suicide through amendments to the Crimes and Penalties Law, according to a Federal Decree Law reported by The National on October 8, 2026. The changes direct such cases toward preventive, therapeutic and humanitarian responses rather than prosecution, with the aim of reducing fear of legal consequences and encouraging people experiencing psychological crises to seek help promptly. According to the decree law, the revisions also seek to enhance suicide prevention programmes, support early intervention and improve monitoring of related data for more effective care. The National said the move marks a further evolution from prior adjustments that had already begun shifting the approach away from punishment.
Graduated penalties now apply to anyone who incites or assists another person to attempt suicide, The National reported, with the severity scaled to the consequences. If the incitement or assistance results in an attempt that does not end in death, the offender faces detention and a fine or either penalty. Where the attempt causes permanent disability, serious illness or an inability to perform personal tasks for more than 20 days, the punishment is temporary imprisonment of three to five years plus a fine. The sentence increases to five to seven years of temporary imprisonment if the actions lead to the victim’s death by suicide.
The amendments treat incitement or assistance involving a person under 18 years of age or someone with diminished will or perception as equivalent to premeditated murder or attempted murder, according to the decree law detailed in The National. Foreign nationals convicted under these provisions face deportation following any prison term. The National noted that the provisions strengthen protections for vulnerable individuals while maintaining clear legal accountability for those who contribute to such acts.
Separate revisions to qisas, or retribution, provisions establish a minimum 15-year prison sentence for intentional killing even when the victim’s heirs waive their right to the maximum punishment, The National reported. The term ranges from 15 to 20 years under the updated rules, balancing heirs’ rights with broader public interest in deterrence. A government statement cited by WAM described the adjustment as strengthening the effectiveness of legal deterrence in serious crimes.
The latest changes build on reforms introduced in 2020 that permitted courts to order treatment as an alternative to punishment for attempted suicide, although the act itself remained a criminal offence at that time, earlier reporting by The National showed. Before those adjustments, Article 335 of the penal code had set the penalty at imprisonment not exceeding six months, a fine not exceeding Dh5,000 or both, according to a 2017 legal explainer published by the same outlet. The current decree law completes the removal of punishment for the attempt while focusing sanctions on third-party involvement.
WAM reported that the reorganisation of provisions on qisas and on incitement or assistance to suicide reinforces the state’s and society’s responsibility for prevention and protection of the right to life. The decree law frames the updates as part of ongoing modernisation of the legislative framework to address contemporary social and humanitarian needs. The National said the full text of the Federal Decree Law has been published, with the amendments taking immediate effect across the federation.
