Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Around 60 percent of the divorces in Saudi Arabia took place in the first year of marriage. (File photo)
The divorce rate in Saudi Arabia increased by 35 percent in 2011 according to a recent social affairs ministry’s study, making the kingdom’s figure higher than the world average of between 18 to 22 percent.
Around 60 percent of the divorces took place in the first year of marriage, analysts across the kingdom said.
“It is a dangerous warning for Saudi society,” said Sheikh Saudi al-Yousif, head of the Tabuk northern region. “The percentage of divorces in the kingdom in the latest period has surpassed 40 percent.”
In 2010, there was one divorce per hour when 18,765 divorces occured out of 90,983 marriages.
Around 60 percent of the divorces took place in the first year of marriage, analysts across the kingdom said.
“It is a dangerous warning for Saudi society,” said Sheikh Saudi al-Yousif, head of the Tabuk northern region. “The percentage of divorces in the kingdom in the latest period has surpassed 40 percent.”
In 2010, there was one divorce per hour when 18,765 divorces occured out of 90,983 marriages.
Mohammed al-Ateeq, a social affairs commentator, said “the increase of the divorce rate coupled with a decreased percentage in marriages is a dangerous indication [that could] lead to many social problems in the future. This is especially true for those Saudi families who cannot afford to spend on their adult daughters, and then expect them to be married.”
Sheikh Khalid al-Hamish, head of a matrimonial online site, while warning of the high percentage that will threaten Saudi society, said that this problem will lead to having more “spinsters” and incur more expenses on the families.
“The economic situation that young men are enduring is not allowing them to marry … There are no jobs and houses are not all that affordable,” Hamish added. He said that there are many men who reach their mid-thirties and have not been able to save money to own a home.
In addition to financial problems, Hamish cited “not choosing the right person” as the root cause of the problem.
"Newlyweds admire each other at first with both formulating their lives according to a theoretical framework without entering the real phase of marriage … Later they are suddenly hit by reality, a far cry from their envisaged imagination,” he said.
“The problem is not choosing the right person and the lack of intellectual compatibility.”
Sheikh Khalid al-Hamish, head of a matrimonial online site, while warning of the high percentage that will threaten Saudi society, said that this problem will lead to having more “spinsters” and incur more expenses on the families.
“The economic situation that young men are enduring is not allowing them to marry … There are no jobs and houses are not all that affordable,” Hamish added. He said that there are many men who reach their mid-thirties and have not been able to save money to own a home.
In addition to financial problems, Hamish cited “not choosing the right person” as the root cause of the problem.
"Newlyweds admire each other at first with both formulating their lives according to a theoretical framework without entering the real phase of marriage … Later they are suddenly hit by reality, a far cry from their envisaged imagination,” he said.
“The problem is not choosing the right person and the lack of intellectual compatibility.”
Mothers, Misyar as other causes
Sheikh Mohammed Othman al-Falaj said the soaring high divorce rate is due to mothers interfering in the marital issues of their daughters and the widespread of the al-Misyar marriage.
Al-Misyar is a form of marriage where a man is not required to live with his wife, but visits her at a mutually agreed time, and it is not necessarily a publically-known union. There are married women who do not know that their husbands are married to other women in such fashion.
“Many have Misyar marriage contracts, and when the first wife knows discovers this or when a man knows that his wife is about to know, a divorce occurs,” said Falaj.
Mohammed Tarhouni, writer of two books “My gift for my son, the groom” and “My gift for my daughter the bride” ─ two books discussing married life – agreed with others that the increase of divorce rate goes back to the little knowledge about marriage and the intervention of mothers.
“Many young men want to get married but in the same time do not want to lose their freedom and do not want to change a thing in their lives, and this is not correct,” he said, adding “the real role of guardianship and leadership for men starts at home.”
Tarhouni said that the guardian role has become a role for women as men are not keen to take charge of family affairs.
“Many of the girls discuss the tiniest of details about their marriage with their mothers, and this is a big mistake,” he warned.
“Any problem in her daughters’ lives sees the mother telling her to file for a divorce, without advising her to be patient.”
Head of the family development center for the Al-Bur charity organization in al-Ahsa eastern region, Khalid bin Saud al-Halibi, said the divorce rate last year was 60 percent in Jeddah, 39 percent in Riyadh, 18 percent in the eastern region.
Meanwhile, family consultant, Abdulah al-Sadhan, said that based on figures, a divorce occurred every 30 minutes in Saudi.
“About 34 percent of those who sought phone counseling backtracked from their decision to file for a divorce.”
(Translation by Dina al-Shibeeb)
Al-Misyar is a form of marriage where a man is not required to live with his wife, but visits her at a mutually agreed time, and it is not necessarily a publically-known union. There are married women who do not know that their husbands are married to other women in such fashion.
“Many have Misyar marriage contracts, and when the first wife knows discovers this or when a man knows that his wife is about to know, a divorce occurs,” said Falaj.
Mohammed Tarhouni, writer of two books “My gift for my son, the groom” and “My gift for my daughter the bride” ─ two books discussing married life – agreed with others that the increase of divorce rate goes back to the little knowledge about marriage and the intervention of mothers.
“Many young men want to get married but in the same time do not want to lose their freedom and do not want to change a thing in their lives, and this is not correct,” he said, adding “the real role of guardianship and leadership for men starts at home.”
Tarhouni said that the guardian role has become a role for women as men are not keen to take charge of family affairs.
“Many of the girls discuss the tiniest of details about their marriage with their mothers, and this is a big mistake,” he warned.
“Any problem in her daughters’ lives sees the mother telling her to file for a divorce, without advising her to be patient.”
Head of the family development center for the Al-Bur charity organization in al-Ahsa eastern region, Khalid bin Saud al-Halibi, said the divorce rate last year was 60 percent in Jeddah, 39 percent in Riyadh, 18 percent in the eastern region.
Meanwhile, family consultant, Abdulah al-Sadhan, said that based on figures, a divorce occurred every 30 minutes in Saudi.
“About 34 percent of those who sought phone counseling backtracked from their decision to file for a divorce.”
(Translation by Dina al-Shibeeb)
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