In 2019, the UAE Government adopted the Family Protection Policy. The policy defines family or domestic violence as any abuse, violence or threat committed by a family member or individual in the role of guardianship or responsibility against any other family member or individual under said responsibility or people of determination (also known as persons with disabilities), resulting in a physical or a psychological harm.

• The policy also identified six forms of domestic violence: physical abuse, verbal abuse, psychological/mental abuse, sexual abuse, economic/financial abuse, andnegligence.

• The Family Protection Policy caters to women, children, the elderly, and people of determination to protect them from any type of violence and abuse. It also regulates the procedures and mechanisms of work in the institutions specialising in the field of handling people who survived domestic violence.

• The policy is based on the following mechanisms: laws and regulations; protection and intervention; prevention and community awareness; training of staff and increasing competencies; and studies, research, and statistics.

• Several initiatives will be launched as part of the policy, namely:

o a unified database linking national-level institutions concerned with family protection;

o introducing university disciplines in the field of family protection;

o establishing a standardised system for reporting and receiving complaints at the national level;

o building and implementing standards for primary prevention; and

o issuance of a law and a strategy for family protection.