DAMMAM, 25 June — Mass weddings are now becoming popular in the Eastern Province, gradually replacing the traditional ceremonies held with pomp and show and at a cost of hundreds of thousands of riyals.
This change in society’s attitude was evident last Thursday when 630 marriages were solemnized at a single function in Ahsa. At a similar ceremony in Safwa, some 25 kilometers from Dammam, 50 couples joined in wedlock which attracted a 10,000-strong crowd In all, 1,260 couples were married at similar functions in the Eastern Province last week.
The concept of mass weddings began some 12 years ago as an attempt to help people of modest means who could not afford the huge expenses of marriage. The idea immediately caught the public’s imagination. Over the years it became so popular that even those who could afford the extravagant expenditures started joining mass weddings. At the Safwa wedding last Thursday, three of the bridegrooms belonged to business families well known in the Eastern Province. “It is no longer a charity event, rather it is a community event where the entire population joins in to celebrate the joyous moments in the life of an individual. It is a collective celebration,” said Hashism Al-Shurfa, president of Al-Safwa Marriage Society.
For joining the mass wedding, each bridegroom is required to contribute SR8,000. In return, he is allowed to invite as many guests as he wishes to. The organizers host a feast of Kabsa, a traditional dish cooked with meat and rice, for the guests. Last year, one of the popular soft drink bottling companies in the Kingdom sponsored the event and distributed free soft drinks to the guests as well as token gifts to the couples.
Al-Shurfa said the charity part of the marriages is now different. There are several organizations in the Eastern Province which help the under-privileged get married. “The present task of our society is to put an end to the decadent customs of the past which have now lost their meaning.”
In the Arab world, marriage is a costly affair. One has to be rich to get married. Thousands of boys and girls could not tie the knot because the would-be groom could not muster sufficient funds to cover the marriage expenses. The groom has to give a big sum as dowry to the bride’s guardian who sometimes treats it as a status symbol. In addition, he has to arrange a lavish party which again is a question of his status. Many religious scholars and social workers have been advocating an end to such practices.
According to Mirza Khwaldi, a journalist and media coordinator of Al-Safwa Marriage Society, “Mass marriages reflect a reawakening among our people and the best part is that this idea has full support from all sections of society.”
The SR8,000 collected from each bridegroom does not meet the total expense of the mass celebrations. These societies cover the deficit through donations from big business groups as well as officials who want to encourage group weddings.
The changing trend has given a new meaning to marriage celebrations. It is now no more an individual event; rather it is a collective celebration involving the entire community.
Khwaldi said his society alone has more than 800 volunteers who are keen to take part in arranging the ceremonies and festivities.
If this trend continues and gets the complete support of community elders as well as businessmen, marriage will become a blissful experience for those who shudder at the thought of the wedding expenses.
