Hefty wedding costs force Saudis to look for foreign brides

By GHAZANFAR ALI KHAN | ARAB NEWS

RIYADH: The hefty wedding costs associated with marrying Saudi women prompted over 2,100 Saudi men to get hitched to non-Saudi women last year, according to a study conducted by the Ministry of Justice.

A copy of the study obtained by Arab News on Wednesday revealed that Yemeni women were most popular with Saudi men, with 1,017 marriage contracts approved by Shariah courts across the Kingdom in 2009.

Higher dowries in Saudi Arabia and the difference in the standard of living between the two countries are some of the factors behind the higher frequency of Yemeni women marrying Saudi men, according to the research.

For Saudis, marrying Yemeni women is less expensive, the report added. There were 164 marriages involving Syrian women and Saudi men, 145 involving Pakistani women and 104 involving Palestinian women.

Saudi males have also either married or searched for potential wives from other Asian and Western countries, including the US, Britain, Germany, Canada, Spain and Indonesia, as well as the Gulf states.

On the flipside, Saudi women marrying foreign men last year represented only 1.4 percent of marriage contracts concluded in the courts in the Kingdom, according to the study.

The research claimed that Yemen together with a few other countries have become a haven for Arab men seeking their partners.

However, the rising numbers of Saudi men going to foreign countries to get married has resulted in a sharp increase in the number of Saudi spinsters, said the study.

There are an estimated 1.5 million unmarried women in Saudi Arabia at the moment.

The refusal of fathers to give their daughters away on the basis of “tribal incompatibility” was another reason for many Saudi men seeking foreign wives, said the study.

The research also claimed some fathers would not allow their working daughters to marry because they wanted control over their salaries.

Moreover, the report says the system in Saudi Arabia does not allow women citizens to marry on their own initiative, whereas men have more freedom.

There are also a large number of families of Yemeni origin who have Saudi passports and have been living in the Kingdom.

Saudi men prefer to marry into these families, especially if they are still living in Yemen, revealed the study.

Prominent sociologist Hamoud Al-Awdi has called on Arab countries, including the Kingdom, to limit dowries and make marriage easier for young men and women.

He said that a large number of marriages conducted in secrecy have left homeless or in poverty over 1,500 women and children abandoned by Saudis in 19 countries across the world.

Comments

SAFWAN

Report abuse
In Islam it is stated that you make the marriage very easy...............dont know what happened to saudi people.Due to heavy wedding costs they seeking women in other countries.

JAMAL D. MAROHOM

Report abuse
Marriage is a religious duty. Wedding in Islam should be done based on the conditions that both parties have agreed upon. And I think "Hefty Wedding Costs" has/have grown with the country's culture. Therefore it's not taught in Islam.

AMERICAN IN SAUDIA

Report abuse
It seems that the high dowries that Saudi women are asking for have acted like a domino effect leading to numerous social viruses--homosexuality, higher crime (most crimes are by single people, well known, much less wreckless driving), fornication, and many numerous crimes involving money (and lack there of) for those trying to pay for weddings/dowries and apartments, subhanAllah, when will the culture change... I've been married more than once, neither of the women, both very righteous virgins, asked for more than $1,000 riyals. Alhamdulillah, the easiest dowry is the one with the most barakah in it. Sadaqa Rasoolullahi SallaLLahu Alayhi waSallam

UMM KHALID

Report abuse
Well this article is a no brainer.. We've said this a zillion times.. The women are just too greedy and or their fathers/families.. .. We should all go back to islam and do as our prophet did.... Why do our daughters need to ask for such exorbant dowries? for what? guarantee in case of divorce? why? I feel that you should go into a new marriage with reasonable finances in order and use this money wisely to start saving for a house and your future.. IF the poor groom has to spend half million in dowry and a million on the wedding itself.. what is he able to save for your future, he will enter the marriage in debt.. Is this any way to start out in life? No wonder they look outside for woman, non greedy woman.. This country is grooming a patch of "princess wannabes" and its time they get down from their thrones to realize reality... Also in this article, I dont t hink its fair to compare a low percentage of saudi women marrying abroad, cause of the law, they cannot.. so its not fair to compare a greater percentage of men marrying non saudis, than woman, men can, the woman cant, so its an uneven comparasen there.

MUSLIM FROM THE WEST

Report abuse
the solution is to allow men to marry from abroad without restrictions. that would then force fathers to reduce the dowry and other demands or face the prospects of their daughters never marring. if the saudis followed the sunnah of our prophet then their men would not have to travel abroad to marry or be burden by debt for years if they marry a saudi lady.
in England marriage cost is shared between the 2 families, not just by the groom. so, if the family of the bride wants a big wedding and nice house then her family should also share in the cost. i think that is only fair.
Post your comment

required

required (email will never be displayed)

Please enter the following characters in the box provided (case sensitive). This helps us prevent automated programs from creating accounts and sending spam.

All comments are subject to approval

Terms and conditions

Latest comments

New leader calls for unity government amid turmoil in Maldives

Democratic Form of Government is becoming a 'JOKE' and 'LAUGHING <br/>STOCK' for the people al

MUBARAK ALI PATEL at Feb 9, 2012 06:10

1 comments

Graft, politics, militant Islam shake Indian Ocean island paradise

Instead of people's Power, people in Democratic Country often see <br/>Authoritiative Power/Im

MUBARAK ALI PATEL at Feb 9, 2012 06:10

1 comments

Attack on Iran 'would be disaster,' must talk-Turkey

"DESTROYING" is the key word today; whether it is "COUNTRY" or <br/>"ECONOMY" is immeterial.

MUBARAK ALI PATEL at Feb 9, 2012 06:09

3 comments

When irrational fear takes over

Using computer programs to treat phobia is great. But if you have fear of heights (Acrophobia?)

Azad Miah, UK at Feb 9, 2012 04:42

1 comments