UAE'S DIVORCE RATE HIGHLIGHTED AT MEETING

DUBAI, April 8 (Bernama) -- The United Arab Emirates's (UAE) divorce rate has
come on the radar of the authorities which have pledged to do more to address
the issue.

Its Social Affairs Minister, Mariam Mohammed Khalfan Al Roumi, said some
statistics suggested the presence of 18,000 divorced and widowed Emirati women
in the country but there had been no conclusive nationwide study on this matter.

"From your concerns and comments on divorced women, I have come to realise
the alarming and urgent need to address the cases of these women," The National
daily quoted her as saying at a meeting of the Federal National Council.

She promised wide-ranging research into the problem, according to the
newspaper.

Al Roumi said her ministry was liaising with the Justice Ministry to try to
keep reconciliation efforts out of the courts.

The minister also said that more than 50 family counsellors had been trained
this year.

-- BERNAMA