Witchcraft and Sorcery Crimes in the UAE: What is the Punishment?

What is the penalty for sorcery and witchcraft in the UAE? The short answer: the UAE Crimes and Penalties Law punishes with imprisonment and a fine of not less than AED 50,000 anyone who practises acts of sorcery, charlatanry or deception with the intent of exploiting or harming another person, whether the act is real or a deception, and whether or not it is done for payment, together with the deportation of a foreign national and the confiscation of the seized items. Criminal liability does not stop at the sorcerer: it extends to anyone who uses a sorcerer to influence another person, anyone who brings in or possesses books of sorcery, talismans and tools, and anyone who promotes these acts by any means. Many people fall into these crimes without realising how serious they are: a traveller whose suitcase is found at the airport to contain talismans, a person who turned to a self-styled “spiritual healer” on social media, or a victim who paid money to someone claiming to break a spell. In this article, we explain sorcery and witchcraft crimes in the UAE and their penalties, and what to do if you are accused or a victim.

What does UAE law criminalise in sorcery and witchcraft?

Sorcery and witchcraft crimes are now governed by Federal Decree-Law No. (31) of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law, which replaced the former Penal Code. It is important to note that many websites still quote the provisions of the repealed law, giving readers inaccurate information about their legal position.

The law uses the expression “acts of deception, sorcery or charlatanry” and defines them as any act, word or method that is impermissible or unacceptable to reason and is intended to influence another person's body, heart, mind or will, directly or indirectly, in reality or in imagination. This also covers deceiving people's eyes or taking control of their senses so that they see something other than as it truly is, with the intent of exploiting them or influencing their beliefs. What matters, therefore, is not whether the sorcery is “real”, but the act itself and the intent to exploit or harm.

The penalty for sorcery and witchcraft in the UAE

Liability is graded according to each person's role in the incident:

Anyone who goes to a sorcerer is also punished

Many people assume that the penalty falls on the sorcerer alone, and that whoever asks for a “spell” to win someone's love, separate a married couple or harm a person is merely a customer. The law is explicit in punishing anyone who uses another person in these acts to influence someone else. In October 2026, Dubai Public Prosecution referred a woman to the Misdemeanours Court in a case of resorting to sorcery, which confirms that these acts are actually prosecuted before the courts. Anyone who became involved in requesting such a spell and then wishes to report the sorcerer therefore needs a careful legal assessment of their own position before taking any step, so that they do not turn from complainant into accused.

Sorcery materials seized at the airport: what happens?

Customs at the country's airports regularly seize talismans, books and tools suspected of being used in sorcery, and the person carrying them is referred to the security authorities and the Public Prosecution. Bringing in or possessing these materials is a separate crime, even if the person has not practised anything. But not everything seized is proof of guilt: a traveller may be carrying items whose true nature he does not know, a parcel handed to him by a relative, or religious or heritage items that are wrongly suspected. This is where the lawyer's role is decisive from the very first interrogation: proving the absence of knowledge and intent, examining the nature of the seized items, and sparing a foreign national the deportation that follows a conviction for the crime of practising sorcery.

The “spiritual healer” and fraud in the name of breaking a spell

Social media is full of people presenting themselves as “spiritual healers” or “healers” who promise to break spells, bring good fortune or win back a loved one, and then ask for repeated transfers. Such acts may combine more than one crime: the sorcery itself, and fraud to obtain money. If committed online, the Law on Combating Rumours and Cybercrimes punishes electronic fraud with imprisonment for not less than one year and a fine of not less than AED 250,000 and not more than AED 1 million, or either of them, and it also punishes anyone who creates or uses an account aimed at committing a crime. See also: “Scammed on Instagram or TikTok: how do I file a police report?”

The victim has the right to report and to claim back what he paid, but the matter requires precision: if his own request involved influencing another person, he may also be held liable. Our firm first assesses the facts and determines the correct wording of the report and the claims that protect your rights without placing you within the circle of accusation.

If you know who bewitched you: how do you report it and prove it?

Suspicion alone is not enough to convict anyone, and criminal courts do not accept accusations based on dreams or on the statements of people who claim to detect sorcery. What counts is material evidence: messages and conversations, money transfers, witnesses, and items seized in the accused's possession. The report is filed with the police or the Public Prosecution through their official channels. Beware of making accusations without evidence, as this may turn against you as a malicious report for which the accused claims compensation from you. A court in Abu Dhabi has heard a compensation claim brought by a man against a woman who accused him of sorcery, which shows that such reports open legal doors in both directions.

Why does the law criminalise even what is claimed to be a cure?

The law criminalises the act whether it is real or a deception, and whether or not it is done for payment, so a defence that the purpose was healing or doing good is not accepted. This reflects a well-known principle of jurisprudence in the Maliki school, “blocking the means” (sadd al-dhara'i), that is, prohibiting a means that usually leads to harm even if some benefit is claimed for it. Opening the door to “healing through sorcery” would be a pathway to practising it, trading in it and exploiting people, so the legislator closed it completely to protect society and its beliefs. For related crimes, read: Crimes against religious beliefs and rites in the UAE.

How can our firm help you in sorcery and witchcraft cases?

Whether you are accused or a victim, the strength of your position starts with the first step. If you are accused, we attend the interrogation with you, examine the seized items and how they were seized, build the defence on the absence of intent, knowledge or evidence, and work to spare you deportation and the effect of a judgment on your good conduct certificate. If you are a victim, we first assess your position, then draft the report and follow it up until your money is recovered. See also: “A police report has been filed against me in Dubai: what should I do?”

Figures you should know

Important tips

Legal references

• Federal Decree-Law No. (31) of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law, as amended.

• Federal Decree-Law No. (34) of 2021 on Combating Rumours and Cybercrimes, as amended.

Frequently asked questions about sorcery and witchcraft crimes in the UAE