Abu Dhabi Police have busted a wedding party held at a home in the capital despite a ban against gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Police said on Thursday that the bridegroom, his father and the father of the bride would face legal action and fines of up to Dh10,000 each for organising the reception, in violation of the Cabinet decision no. 17 of 2020.

Private and public gatherings currently banned across the country to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Guests who attended the wedding reception were also referred to prosecutors and will face fines of Dh5,000 each. It was not immediately known how many people attended the wedding.

Severe penalties

UAE has introduced heavy fines for quarantine offences, including Dh3,000 for not wearing masks. Repeat offenders face a minimum Dh100,000 fine and maximum six-month prison sentence.

No further details were revealed by police, who urged members of the public to report any offences by calling the toll free number 8002626, sending a text message to 2828, or emailingAman@adpolice.gov.ae

In March, UAE Attorney General issued a series of penalties for offences that could spread the virus to others. They included fines for not wearing face masks, adhering to social distancing, breaching home quarantine and refusing a mandated medical test.

Fines range between Dh1,000 for "unnecessarily" visiting a healthcare facility and Dh50,000 for anyone who does not remain in hospital, comply with prescribed treatment or refuses tests requested by authorities.