The law which governs crimes and its penalties in the United
Arab Emirates is the Federal Decree Law No. 31 of 2021 (UAE
Penal Code).
The UAE Penal Code came into force from 2 January 2022 and
abrogated and repealed the penal code applicable previously, called
the Federal Law No. 3 of 1987.
What is premeditated murder?
The UAE Penal Code defines “premeditation” as the
predetermining an act beforehand in order to commit a crime against
a person and precisely procuring the necessary means to conduct the
act.
Article 384 of the UAE Penal Code states that a person who
deliberately kills a human being will be sentenced to life
imprisonment. That said, Article 384/2 of the UAE Penal Code
further clarifies that if the murder is committed with
premeditation and deliberation, death penalty will be imposed.
Deliberation is understood as lying in wait for a person in one
place or several places for a length of time, so as to kill the
person by any act of aggression.
