Legislative progress of assisted reproduction techniques in Muslim countries
Algeria
The Law No. 18-11 dated the 2nd of July 2018 lays down fundamental provisions and principles and aims to give effect to the rights and duties of the population in the health matters. As part of this law, a chapter was dedicated to the Medical Assisted Reproductive Techniques. Thus, in Algeria, the access for the medical reproductive techniques is conditioned by the formal request of the legally married patients that are not capable to procreate naturally (Art.371). Under the provisions of this law, the donation, or sale of gametes, embryos, or sperm is strictly prohibited. In addition, the collection of embryos for the purpose of conducting studies and research are strictly forbidden (Art.374). The Law No. 18-11 also specified that the sex selection and human cloning are strictly prohibited (Art.375). A regulation regarding the storage of embryos and gametes is expected to be adopted soon. The 18-11 law regarding the Medical Assisted Reproductive Techniques was adopted recently, and the regulations connoted are not released yet. The comments and critics regarding these law and regulation will not be objective and effective.
Bahrain
His Majesty the King of Bahrain ratified and issued Law 26/2017 with respect to the use of medical techniques for artificial insemination and fertilization (MTAIF). Contrarily to Saudi Arabia, the definition of infertility is more general and inclusive. Under the dispositions of this law, infertility is the absence of pregnancy and therefore the inability of the couple to have children after the passage of 12 months from the continuous marital life in the marital home and without the use of contraceptives or pregnancy difficulties. Therefore, we understand from this definition that only married couples can get access to the medical techniques for artificial insemination and fertilization. The article 6 of the MTAIF law specify that the access for the medical techniques is conditioned by the formal consent and is subject to the continuity of the relation of marriage and its non-interruption by divorce or death. In addition, fertilized eggs may not be implanted in the uterus of another wife or any other woman. Likewise, the men’s sperm cannot be used to fertilize other than the egg of his wife (Article 7). Human cloning and the collection of embryos for the purpose of conducting studies and research are strictly forbidden in Bahrain. Briefly, surrogacy is prohibited. The article 7 of the MTAIF law made it clear that only one embryo can be placed in the uterus of the female aged less than 35 years. Contrarily, patient aged over 35 years can receive up to 3 embryos, but the selective reduction of the embryos placed in the uterus through termination is only permitted in order to save the mother’s life and after the approval of three medical consultants. Under the provisions of this law, the donation or sale of gametes or embryos is strictly prohibited. The use of stem cells extracted from a person to treat infertility in another person is not tolerable and results in prosecution. After having the formal acceptance of patients, the storage of sperm, eggs, and tissues is allowed for a period not exceeding 10 years. The storage of embryos is also allowed for a maximum period of 5 years (Article 8). The end of the marital relationship causes systematic destruction of the conserved gametes, sperms or embryos. The ninth article of the MTAIF has forbidden the establishment of embryonic or sperm banks in the Kingdom of Bahrain. It also specified that the import or export of embryos, sperm, or eggs is strictly prohibited from and to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Egypt
The first ever-issued guidelines that permits and regulate ART in the Muslim countries were issued in Egypt. In fact, in March 1980, his Excellency Sheikh Gad El Hak Ali Gad El Hak, the Mofti of Egypt, issued a fatwa allowing the recourse to ART. This fatwa permitted treatment for Muslims but disallowed any form of third-party reproductive assistance, including surrogacy [40]. Since that, the use of assisted reproduction technology becomes popular and the In vitro fertilization (IVF) technique has become much more acceptable as a means of procreation among the medical community, patients, and society [41]. The large widespread of the ART among the Egyptian population was not followed by the issuance of laws regulating its use [42]. In fact, researchers Aboulghar et al. [43] estimated that breaking some religious laws might be more serious than breaking laws decided by the parliament. At the same time, Aboulghar et al. [43] assumed that the absence of laws could raise certain juridical and legal aspects. The year 1989 witnessed extensive discussion about the possibility of adoption of a law to regulate IVF and intrauterine insemination (IUI). To guide the debate and give the experts point of view, a committee was formed. Its discussions reached a consensus and stated that IVF and IUI are legal and ethical procedures, and that centers offering such programs should follow the Islamic rules as stipulated in al-Azhar declaration on IVF and IUI [43]. Right now, “assisted reproduction is further addressed in the Professional Ethics Regulations of the Egyptian Medical Syndicate. These regulations, which amended previous regulations from 1974, have been issued by Decree No. 238/2003 of the Ministry of Health and Population (Ministry of Health Decree 238/2003) pursuant to the resolutions of the Egyptian Medical Syndicate Council and the General Assembly of Egyptian Physicians” [42]. The Decree No. 238/2003 specified that the sperm, egg and embryo donations are not permitted in Egypt (Art. 45). It also specified that in Egypt, gestational surrogacy is illegal. Art. 45 (2), 46, and 51 of the same decree, prohibit the establishment of egg, sperm, or embryo banks. They also ban the trade in human embryos. The Egyptian Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology played also a certain role in regulating certain aspects of the ART. In fact, its Code of Ethics considered the cryopreservation of any surplus fertilized eggs and their implantation in a later cycle into the mother from whom the eggs come to be lawful [21]. The number of embryos to be transferred was restricted by certain local recommendations and guidelines. However, there are no regulatory mechanisms to control these guidelines, and IVF centers in general do not conform to recommendations concerning the number of embryos transferred [43].
Jordan
Since 2007, the Jordanian government presented a draft of a proposed law regarding the use of medical techniques to help reproduction. This bill is still subject for discussion in the parliament. Nowadays, we do not observe any specific law or regulation specially dedicated to the reproduction practices. Recently, the Jordanian government adopted the Law 25 of 2018 regarding medical and health accountability. This law integrated few articles that are directly linked to some artificial reproduction issues. Article 8 of this law criminalized human cloning, research, and experiments for cloning purposes. Under the provisions of article 13 of the same law, the application of the pregnancy aid technologies require the written approval of the married patients and also specified that embryos can be transplanted into the uterus of the women when the sperm is only obtained from her husband. According to the article, 14 of the law of medical and health accountability specified that women sterilization could not be performed, unless physicians get the written consent of the women concerned and a favorable approval of a medical committee.
The Jordanian Stem cell bylaw of 2014 sets forth rules for the collection, storage, dispensing, and conduct of research on stem cells, including embryonic stem cells. It justified the need for stem cell research and/or therapy, stressed, and recommended the use of good medical practices to that end. Under its dispositions, research on embryonic stem cells is permitted only in public institutions. The third article of the bylaw announced the five categories of the legalized stem cells research including embryonic stem cells (ESCs), adult stem cells (ASCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), stem cells resulting from somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), and cytoplasmic hybrid stem cells (Cybrid). While article 8 of this bylaw made it mandatory to have the formal consent of donators, the article 9 insisted that the collection and use of stem cells should be in accordance with Islam and Sharia’a law.
Lebanon
Like in Jordan, we do not observe any specific law or regulation specially dedicated to the reproduction practices in Lebanon. In 2016, the government proposed a bill on reproductive techniques assistance and research on the fetus. The project proposed is still under discussion in the parliament. A chapter regarding assisted reproduction techniques was introduced in the 1994 law of the medical ethics. The paragraph 6 of the article 30 of this law specified that only married couples, formally consenting, could resort to the artificial insemination or pregnancy by using assisted fertility techniques. The medical centers performing these acts shall take full due account of the laws in force in the civil, religious, sectarian, and spiritual courts. The eighth paragraph of the same article made it possible to perform research on stem cell research under certain specific conditions. The use of stem cell is also allowed contingent of respecting the conditions enumerated in the paragraphs 12 to 16 under the provisions of article 30 of the same law.
Malaysia
Malaysia is essentially considered as a Muslim country but also multiculturalist and multiethnic. In order to regulate the different legal and ethical issues related to the reproduction practices, Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) issued two main regulations. The first one is related to the assisted reproduction, and the second one concerns the stem cell research and therapy. First of all, in the Guideline 003/2006 related to assisted reproduction, the MMC recognizes that it is strictly prohibited to sell gametes, semen, or embryos. It also prohibited the reproductive cloning and the culturing of an embryo in vitro for more than fourteen days. Under these guidelines, assisted reproduction techniques must only be offered to married couples considering that they both formally consent to be involved in the process of treatment. This consent is also necessary in the case of disposal or further storage of genetic material for a period of 5 years that can be extended for one time. The stored gametes are systematically destroyed in the event of separation, divorced or decease. Under these guidelines, the technique of blastocyst transfer is ethically acceptable, and the embryos are allowed to grow beyond the typical 2–3 days of culture and are allowed to develop to the blastocyst stage before they are transferred to the womb [44]. The religious and cultural sensitivities of the patient and the medical practitioner play an important role in determining whether eggs, embryos, and sperms are donated to treat human sub-fertility in others with the help of assisted reproductive procedures. Such practices are not prohibited and are not allowed at the same time; they mainly relay on the beliefs of the patients and practitioners. The dispositions of the Guideline 003/2006 allow the sex selection of the embryos only if particular sex predisposes to a serious genetic condition. The MMC regulation recognized the importance of the prevention against the excessive multi-fetal gestation by restricting the numbers of embryo transferred and careful induction of ovulation. Despite that, the number of fetuses to be gestated was not clearly specified.
In 2009, the MMC issued Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Therapy that was in line the same guidelines adopted by the Malaysian Ministry of Health. In such regard, under conditions of the conformity to the ethical guidelines, the local scientists and clinicians got the right of performing stem cell research. The two main conditions for conducting research on human embryonic stem cell consist of obtaining the informed consent of patients accepting to donate their gametes or blastocysts for free. The guidelines also specified what kinds of research are allowed or prohibited.
Despite the progress observed in the Malaysian legislation, the regulations adopted were typically issued by the Malaysian Medical Council and did not specify any penal dispositions in case of non-conformity to the law. A new regulation named the Artificial Reproduction and Tissue Act was supposed to be adopted in 2016, but it is yet delayed. In addition, when it comes to the process of storage and disposal of gametes and embryos, the regulations are vague and relay more on the intention of the practitioner rather than on clear and strict dispositions. The question of surrogacy is also indefinite and not clearly ruled. The recourse of such technique relays on the decision and religious beliefs of the patients.
Morocco
A first draft of law 47.14 regarding the Medical Assisted Reproductive Techniques was submitted in February 2016 and adopted in July 2018 by the Moroccan parliament. The 47.14 draft law specified that married couples; where natural conception has proven unfeasible for at least one year, have the full right for the use of reproduction methods and techniques, if they formally consent for that. At the same time, the proposed law clearly specified that persons that are proven completely sterile are not covered by its dispositions and consequently cannot seek procreation services. Doing so, those that have curable medical problem or that have medical evidence that they have poor fertility can get access to medical intervention resources under the dispositions of this law. The number of embryos to be injected in the uterus is going to be determined by special regulation.
Under the provisions of this draft law, the donation or sale of gametes, embryos, or sperm is strictly prohibited. In addition, the collection of embryos for conducting studies and research are strictly forbidden (Art.7). The draft Law No. 47.14 also specified that the sex selection and human cloning are strictly prohibited (Art.4).
The 2018 draft law strictly prohibited the industrial or commercial use of sperm, ovaries, and embryos (Article 6). Under the provisions of this law, the donation, sale, import, or export of gametes or embryos is strictly prohibited (Art.30). Briefly, surrogacy is strictly forbidden.
When it comes to the issue of the disposal or further storage of genetic material, the consent of patients becomes primordial. The bill proposed by the government suggested the possibility of storage of the sperm and ovaries for a period of 5 years that cannot be extended (Art.22). In the same context, the storage of the unused embryos is not possible. The stored gametes are systematically destroyed in the event of separation, divorce, decease, or under request of the patients. The Moroccan legislator took into consideration the society and human progress and made an exception regarding the storage conditions. Thus, people who are undergoing medical treatment that can affect their future possibilities of procreation are allowed to store their eggs or sperm for a period of 5 years that can be extended if judged necessary and motivated (Art.22). Despite the fact that the bill regarding the Medical Assisted Reproductive Techniques was recently adopted, the proposed draft seems to be inclusive and regulating the main conflictive contemporizing ethical issues. A better judgment regarding this law could be made once it is promulgated and completed by the joint regulations.
Pakistan
With the absence of system for ethical research clearance and in order to protect the interests of Pakistani people from harm and exploitation in the name of research, there was a need that the Health Research System of the country develops standards, procedures, and guidelines for the scrutiny of the ethical aspect of all health research being undertaken within the country. In 2004, the Ministry of Health constituted the National Bioethics Committee (NBC) that plays the role of the major, official body to uphold the bioethical principles in all sectors of healthcare in Pakistan. In 2016, the NBC adopted the Ethical Guidelines for Collection, Usage, Storage, and Export of Human Biological Materials (HBM). In addition, in collaboration with the human organ transplant authority, the NBC adopted the Protocol/Guidelines for Stem Cell Research/Regulation in Pakistan (SCRRP). The main objectives of the Protocol/Guidelines adopted consisted of creating a framework for research and clinical applications of stem cells involving human subjects in strict accordance with the religious and social mores of the society. In addition, the SCRRP stressed the need to regulate the diverse aspects of stem cell research, therapy where the immense power to cure and rejuvenate is harnessed, and possible harm is avoided. Under the protocol/guidelines, physicians and health practitioners are not allowed to terminate the pregnancy for obtaining fetus for stem cells research or for transplantation. In addition, by reference to the same document, it is not allowed to create embryos for the sole purpose of obtaining stem cells. The guidelines contain also valuable instructions and dispositions that that guide researchers and health care practitioner in term of stem cell treatment and research. In general, under these guidelines shall be offered by authorized authorities, after getting the approval of patients and without having a trading purpose.
The second important document developed by the National Bioethics Committee of Pakistan discusses multiple aspects of Human biological Material (HBM) usage in medical research and provides ethical guidelines regarding collection, usage, storage, and export of HBM. The Ethical Guidelines for Collection, Usage, Storage, and Export of Human Biological Materials stressed the necessity of having a valid informed consent before performing any activity. It also highlighted the importance of maintaining confidentiality and privacy throughout the research process. Finally, it discussed the related commercial uses and benefit sharing. The National Bioethics Committee of Pakistan believes that HBM carries great significance in pharmaceutical industry where it can be used as raw material or as a precursor for research activities. For the National Bioethics Committee, these utilities have made the commercial use of HBM plausible and stressed the need to conceive suitable forms of compensation or benefit sharing.
Despite the importance of the protocol/guidelines adopted by the National Bioethics Committee of Pakistan, these dispositions lack the legal characters and the support of the government is essential in such regard. Thus, as example, the NBC strongly recommended that the Pakistani government make appropriate legislation for export of Human Biological Material. Our research also showed us that the Pakistani Government did not adopt any specific law or regulations, regulating the use of medical techniques for artificial insemination and fertilization.
Qatar
The Qatari Government did not adopt any specific law or regulations, regulating the use of medical techniques for artificial insemination and fertilization. Only research is regulated in such regard. Thus, the Qatar ministry of public health issued guidelines for human stem cell research and Qatar supreme council of health adopted the Guidelines, Regulations and Policies for Research Involving Human Subjects. The late mentioned document contained a chapter dedicated for reviewing additional Protections for Pregnant Women, Human Fetuses, and Neonates Involved in Research. In general, this policy highlighted the main conditions necessary to observe in order to perform research. It also offers guarantees to protect the health and safety of pregnant women, human fetuses, and neonates.
Saudi Arabia
As Malaysia, legal and ethical issues related to the reproduction practices are regulated in the medical and research contexts. Medically speaking, the Royal Decree No. M/76 dated march 2004 promulgated the Law of Units of Fertilization, Utero-Fetal, and Infertility Treatment. It clearly specified those people that are proven completely sterile are not covered by its dispositions. Doing so, those that have curable medical problem or that have medical evidence that their poor fertility can get access to medical intervention resources under the dispositions of this law. In addition, the Saudi law clearly specified that the access to the treatments be only guaranteed to those that have a proven existing marital relationship. Thus, divorce or death of one of the partners makes a termination for the process of fertilization and insemination. In addition, fertilized eggs may not be implanted in the uterus of another wife or any other woman. Likewise, the men’s sperm cannot be used to fertilize other than the egg of his wife. Article 13 of the Saudi Law of Units of Fertilization, Utero-Fetal, and Infertility Treatment clearly specified that consent of the primordial formal consent of patients is necessary in order to conduct research on sperm, eggs, zygotes, or embryos. In 2014, the standing committee for research ethics on living creatures (SCRELC) defined the Law of Ethics of Research on Living Creatures Regulations: Implementing Regulations of the Law of Ethics of Research on Living Creatures (LERLC). Research establishment conducting research on living creatures in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia must obey to the provisions of the Law and its Regulations. The LERLC strictly forbidden the trading in gametes, zygotes, organs, tissues, cells, or any parts thereof or genetic data related to human derivatives or products. The article 16 of the same law clearly specified the conditions under whom research on zygotes, gametes, or fetuses may be conducted. Article 18 of the LERLC specified that informed consent is necessary in order to conduct research on tissues, living cells, and separated parts, including stem cells extracted from the umbilical cord or adult stem cells. In all conditions, no research may be conducted for human cloning (Article 17).
Sultanate of Oman
In 2017, the Omani Ministry of Health issued the Fertility Centre Standards and Regulations for Private Sector. It intended to ensure a consistent, research based, and safe framework for the provision of assisted reproduction centers operating in Oman. Their main source of inspiration is the Sharia’a Law and Islamic rules and regulations as interpreted and implemented in the Sultanate of Oman. Under these regulations, the ministry of health established strict conditions in order to benefit from the fertility centers services. For example, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) treatment is offered only to couple that are at risk of having a child with a serious genetic condition. The disorder, for which PGD is considered, has been identified in the family, and there is evidence that the future individual may be seriously impaired because of the disorder. Couples are admissible only if they do not have any living unaffected child from the current relationship and a qualified geneticist recommends that for PGD. Despite the respect of all the previously cited conditions, the female partner should be under 40 years of age at the time of PGD treatment. In general, fertility services providers are not allowed to perform non-medical gender selection. It is also prohibited to use donated sperm or eggs from a non-married couple. Again, a woman shall not be provided with any nonmedical fertility services involving the use of sperm other than her husband sperm. In all figures, the patient formal consent is needed in order to have access to treatment services involving the use of the gametes. Before the embryo transfer, female patients shall be offered by the center the opportunity to discuss, select, and formally consent the number of embryos to be transferred and accept the risk of having multiple births. In all cases, the regulations recommended the transfer of a maximum of two embryos to women under the age of 35, and a maximum of three embryos to women aged 40 and over. The Omani Fertility Centre Standards and Regulations for Private Sector specified the conditions of storing unfertilized ova, sperm, and embryos. First, the formal consent of the patient(s) is necessary before performing the storage. Second, the preservation and storage is made for a maximum period of 5 years subject to the annual formal renewal and the non-decease of the patient. Finally, the Omani ministry of health clearly specified that the transportation of unfertilized ova outside the country is strictly prohibited.
Tunisia
The Tunisian government is considered as one of the first Muslim that legislated on the process of assisted reproductive technology in accordance with bioethics rules. The guarantee of the conformity with human rights at the start of life stage is governed by the law No. 2001-93 of the 7th of August 2001 on reproductive medicine. This act introduced the concept of reproductive health and prohibits genetic engineering, cloning, and the trafficking of fetuses and human embryos [45].
The articles 3 and 4 of the reproductive medicine law indicated that the access for the medical techniques is conditioned by the formal consent and is subject to the continuity of the relation of marriage and its non-interruption by divorce or death. The condition of marriage is not absolute as the unmarried patients suffering from diseases that could potentially affect their future reproductive capacities, were offered the opportunity to freeze their gametes. The future use of the frozen eggs or sperm is conditioned by the existence of legal relationship. In addition, the 2001 law indicated that fertilized eggs might not be implanted in the uterus of another woman. Likewise, the men’s sperm cannot be used to fertilize other than the egg of his wife (Articles 14 and 15). Human cloning (Art.8) and the collection of embryos for conducting studies and research are strictly forbidden (Art.9) in Tunisia. The commercial conception and the industrial or eugenic use of human embryo is strictly prohibited (Art.7). Under the provisions of this law, the donation or sale of gametes, or embryos is strictly prohibited. After having the formal acceptance of patients, the storage of embryos and gametes is allowed for a period not exceeding 5 years renewable one time (Article 11). The end of the marital relationship or the request of patients causes systematic destruction of the conserved gametes, sperms or embryos.
Despite the progress observed in the Tunisian reproductive medicine law and its contemporary application, it appears that this law did not cover the issue of the number of embryos that could potentially be placed in the uterus of the female. This law neglected the ethical question of the security of the pregnant and the fetus. The issue of sex selection was not also treated.
Republic of Turkey
The first regulatory framework for assisted reproductive treatment was introduced in 1987 and prohibited the use of donor eggs, donor spermatozoa, and surrogacy [46]. In the 3rd of March 2010, the Turkish Ministry of Health adopted a new regulation on assisted reproduction therapeutic applications and assisted reproduction therapy centers. The regulations created a legal framework that helped to clarify the rules of access and use of infertility treatments throughout the nation. In addition, they assert a number of issues significantly affecting the practice of assisted reproduction. Through these regulations, only married couples that cannot have a child in natural ways, can benefit from the services of assisted reproduction. The use of eggs, sperms, and embryos out of the married couples is banned and the utilization of donors is prohibited. The new regulation also stipulated that the storage of the reproductive cells is prohibited with some exceptions in strict cases of medical obligations. The formal approval of storage of cells and tissues is yearly requested from the couple and is possible for a period not exceeding 5 years. The unused embryos are destroyed in case the couple formally refuses the renewal of the storage, in case of divorce, or in case of decease of one of the partners involved in the process. In order to care about the health of mother and baby and in order to prevent undesirable multiple pregnancies, the new regulations on assisted reproduction clearly specified the rules that apply in this situation. During the first and second tentative, physicians are allowed to implement only one embryo. This number is increased to two embryos for the following tentative. Patients aged over 35 years can receive a maximum of two embryos for each tentative. The sex selection for the embryo is prohibited, unless to avoid the risk of a specific genetic disease. In order to help the advancement of scientific knowledge and benefit of humanity, the Turkish new regulation on assisted reproduction therapeutic applications and assisted reproduction therapy centers allowed the performance of embryo research. In such order, researchers shall primordially obtain the agreement of the couples. The regulation also specified that research is allowed only for fourteen days post-fertilization. Despite the progress observed in the regulatory framework for assisted reproductive treatment, the Turkish government started the process of amending the Law No. 2238 on the Harvesting, Storage, Grafting, and Transplantation of Organs and Tissues. The legislators are intended to outlaw the surgical implantation of a fertilized egg for carrying the fetus to term for another woman. Having a child or serving as a surrogate mother is strictly prohibited. Despite the small progress observed in term of research regulation, the legal context still blocks the scientific research [47].
United Arab Emirates
In the United Arab Emirates, the Federal Law No. regulates the recourse for the Assisted Reproductive Techniques. (11) Of 2008 Concerning Licensing of Fertilization Centers in the State, the Cabinet Decision No. (36) Of 2009 Issuing the Implementing Regulation of Federal Law No. (11) Of 2008 and the 2014 HAAD Standard for Assisted Reproductive Technology Services and Treatment. The 2008 federal law specified that married couples, where corporeal conception has proven unfeasible for at least 1 year, have the full right for the use of reproduction methods and techniques, if they formally consent for that (Article 9). Article 10 of the same law clarified that all the possible forms of surrogating are strictly forbidden. In addition, the 2008 law strictly prohibited the commercial use, genetic modifications or the performance of research on the collected and unused sperm, ovaries, and embryos (Article 14). In order to limit the risk of having multiple births, the Emirates legislators limited the number of embryos or ova to be transferred to a maximum of three, if the wife is aged 35 years or under. In all other cases, a maximum of four embryos was settled. In addition, the 2008 law clarified the process and conditions of preservation of the unfertilized ova and sperm. So, after having the formal consent of the married patients, the unfertilized ova and sperms are preserved for future reproduction for a maximum period of 5 years that is renewed annually. The request, divorce, or the decease of the patients systematically results in the destruction of the collected ova and sperms (Article 13). The import or export of specimens of unfertilized or fertilized ova or sperms inside or outside the state is also strictly prohibited (Article 18). Despite its visible effectiveness, the 2008 federal law did not rule the freezing of unfertilized eggs extracted from unmarried females. A practice facilitating the freeze of eggs, in UAE, was observed between 2008 and 2011. However, starting 2012, the UAE ministry of health banned the practice of storing frozen embryos. Again, recently, based on a case-by-case review, the same ministry allowed some unmarried females to freeze their eggs in order to use them in case of need. According the National UAE newspaper, a cabinet decision will give the unmarried women and couples the opportunity to freeze their embryos and eggs under certain conditions and in specific circumstances.