RIYADH, 1 May — Polygamy is responsible for up to 55 percent of divorces in the Kingdom, according to a study published yesterday.
The study, carried out by Muhammad Al-Saif of the sociology department of Riyadh’s King Saud University, found that Islamic courts approve between 25 and 35 divorces a day, or up to 12,775 a year, Al-Yom newspaper reported. Most divorces occur in the first three years of marriage and a majority of divorced women had married under the age of 20, the study said. Riyadh topped the list of divorces in the country, followed by Jeddah.
Interference by other family members and age difference were also major grounds for divorce, the study found. Islam allows Muslim men to have up to four wives, so long as they have the means to support them and all the women are treated equally.
