JEDDAH, 29 February 2008 — The number of marriages and divorces in the Kingdom dropped last year compared to previous years, according to statistics recently issued by the Ministry of Justice. In 2007, 115,549 marriages and 24,428 divorces took place, compared to 119,294 marriages and 24,863 divorces in 2006, a 3.2 and 1.8 percent decrease respectively.
Many people have attributed the decrease in the number of marriages to socio-economic reasons, including high marriage expenses, and the irrational and irresponsible behavior of the young.
“The drop in divorces seems logical considering the recent decline in marriages. People may be putting off marriage, while they prepare themselves economically,” said Lamya Al-Fozan, 27, an associate auditor in a bank.
“I think this has something to do with the recent rise in inflation in the Kingdom, which has impacted on the price of housing. Moreover, one cannot deny the influence of recent changes in society,” she added.
Mai Al-Helabi, 25, a banker, said women nowadays are more demanding and wiser. “They’re not like before. They’re raised to be strong and to not just obey men,” she said.
“Men are also not as responsible as they used to be. They don’t understand women’s needs. By needs I mean financial, emotional and security needs. They want to treat their wives as their fathers used to treat their mothers. Things are totally different now,” she said, adding that people are not as conscientious about religion as they used to be.
“I believe that the roles of individuals are increasing in that more people are concentrating on their careers and going abroad for further studies. This has probably given rise to broader intellects and a change in gender roles. More women want to lead professional lives, which always makes people more analytical when selecting partners,” said Nabilah Halal.
Maysarah Ajeeb, 25, believes growing expenses are the cause of fewer marriages. “Most women ask for high dowries, expensive apartments, large marriage celebrations and costly gifts,” he said. “Getting married is getting difficult day by day. That’s why men are opting for premarital relations and choosing Western lifestyles...Moreover, both men and women value their freedom and are not willing to compromise that,” he added.
Samer Arar, a counseling psychologist and professor of psychology at King Abdul Aziz University, said that marriage is a social and psychological bond. “Marriage is built on love, settlement and compatibility... there are many reasons behind the Saudi youth not wanting to get married. There are many obstacles, including finance, which are holding them back. Also, some are just incapable of handling responsibility,” he said.
He also pointed out that previous experiences make the younger generations avoid repeating the same mistakes that others made. “Negative and unsuccessful experiences worry them and they worry of going through what others have been through,” he added.
Arar added that the media and convolution of different cultures have affected the youth. “They feel they have a freedom of choice and opinion. Nowadays they have an enormous knowledge of marital affairs and other issues and this has affected their opinion of marriage... and most of them have become selfish,” he added.
Speaking about divorces, Arar said, “First, one has to think whether a marriage, which ended in divorce, was built on a strong foundation or whether it was just a random and quick thing. “Also, problems start from both sides. Divorces could be caused by social or mental incompatibility that leads to misery and depression. A lack of communication and understanding between couples also makes it hard on both to continue living together,” he added.
Arar said the youth should learn how to communicate in marriage and how to face problems. He added that couples should cooperate in fulfilling household responsibilities. “Marriage should be a sacred bond based on understanding and knowing what the other wants and fulfilling each other’s needs,” he added.
