Abu Dhabi - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) appointed on Thursday a female Muslim marriage registrar, the first in the Gulf and second in the Arab world.

Fatma Saeed Obaid al-Awani, 33, will perform her job during office hours in court in the Gulf emirate of Abu Dhabi, officials said.

Fatima obtained a law degree from the college of Sharia and Law at UAE University in 2000. She has two children.

Last March, the UAE appointed Kholoud al-Daheri as its first female judge.

Last month, Egypt's first female marriage registrar, Amal Suleiman Afifi, took up her post despite complaints by some conservative clerics that her appointment is against Islam.

Many conservative clerics believe Islamic law, or sharia, bars a woman from becoming a registrar because the legal code states the testimony of two women is equivalent to that of one man in court. (dpa)