JEDDAH, 22 August 2004 — Ali ibn Hussein Al-Shahry, a Saudi from the southern Asir region, set an example for parents in the Kingdom by marrying off his daughter to a youth for a dowry of SR1. The father also agreed to meet all marriage expenses, including the cost of jewelry, wedding dress and the banquet hall.
“I am quite happy with what I have done. The boy I have got is known for his integrity and I am confident he will look after my daughter. By selecting morally upright boys as husbands we are doing a great service to our daughters,” Al-Watan quoted Shahry as saying.
He also advised Saudi parents to reduce the amount of dowry they demand for their daughters and other marriage obligations to help young men and women get married without many hassles.
“In some families in our region, there are women who are not married even at the age of 45. This is because their parents demand exorbitant amounts as dowry,” added Abdullah Shahry, Ali Al-Shahry’s brother.
In contrast to Shahry’s example, a man in the eastern city of Al-Ahsa grabbed a big sum from the SR55,000 dowry paid to his 27-year-old granddaughter. The man has been keeping the money for the past 11 years, Al-Watan said.
The woman has taken the issue to court as the grandfather refused to return SR30,000 given to him by her husband’s father to make preparations for her wedding. Instead, he divided the amount between him and her father. “After all what daughters own belong to their fathers,” the paper quoted the old man as saying at the time.
The Shahrys’ example is important in a society where weddings have become costly and a financial burden. This has forced many Saudi youngsters to delay marriage or accept non-Saudi brides, resulting in a high rate of spinsterhood in the country.
The Shoura Council, with the participation of female journalists and experts, last year discussed various social problems arising as a result of high marriage expenses.
The number of unmarried women in the Kingdom estimated to be as high as 1.5 million. The local media have sounded the alarm bells and called on the authorities and community leaders to address the issue.
A study published last year indicated that the number of spinsters will rise to four million within five years if no action is taken to reverse the trend.
