ALKHOBAR, 28 February 2003 — Although talk of war is in the air, it has done nothing to discourage marriage. Hotels and wedding halls in the Eastern Province were full during Eid Al -Adha and parties continue every weekend.
“We hosted nine weddings in February during the school vacation,” said Lena Al -Hussein, Ladies Banquet Manager, Al -Ahsa Inter-Continental Hotel.
“These were big parties for three to four hundred women. It was mostly young people getting married, but we had one party where the groom was getting married for the third time. These parties cost around SR50,000, so this shows people are willing to spend a significant amount despite the difficult times. Even the small wedding salons in the surrounding area are full every weekend.”
In Alkhobar the wedding scene is similar. “Demand for wedding facilities is high compared to last year,” said Michael Nugent, GM, Le Gulf Meridien.
“So far in February we have hosted 14 big weddings. It’s not just families from Alkhobar who are holding their weddings at our hotel. People from remote areas of the Kingdom and even some families from other GCC countries have also booked our ballroom recently.”
Ali Mohsen Dakdouk, banquet manager, Al Andalus Hall in Dammam feels that people are not focusing on the war talk. They are more interested in their own lives.
“I know such a comment might seem incredible but I can prove it by going over our schedule for the coming month,” Dakdouk asserted. “All the weekend reservations are full.”
Speaking to one groom, who works for Saudi Aramco and recently held his wedding at Al Andalus, it is clear that Dakdouk has a point.
“The war isn’t on my mind,” said Nader. “Anyway, whether I was getting married or not, whatever God wants to happen will happen.”
Seeking explanation for the wedding phenomena, Arab News took advice from Dr. Muhammad Riyad, Consultant Psychiatrist, Saad Specialist Hospital.
“We must remember that one of the companions of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, was going off to battle and the night before the battle he got married. The next day he died. So we can see that to get married, even in difficult times, is a part of human nature,” explained Dr. Riyad.
Dr. Riyad emphasized that life is full of contradictions from its start. Humans come from the dark, confining, safety of the womb into the bright openness of the world. Immediately, the infant must decide to accept the challenge of life and breath, or die. The psychological meaning of marriage is continuity. It is a way for people to challenge war, which is full of death, and instead create hope for future life.
“Single men fare the worst in times of stress,” Dr. Riyad remarked. “Being alone means more suffering. Marriage because of its social structure and opportunity for marital relations, helps people deal with stress. Marriage is a coping mechanism, but it is also society reaffirming its will to go on, and the hope to overcome the situation. The other choice is to say, ‘No, I am going to give up and die,’ and sink into depression.”
Dr. Riyad has discovered that some of his patients have even begun building homes. He believes that people are trying to create a feeling of security. The only caution Dr. Riyad had concerning the current situation was that there is a fine line between coping and denial; the latter can have catastrophic consequences. For the present, it seems that Saudi youth are still getting married for the right reasons.
“I need more than ever before to have a family,” said Haithem, a Saudi businessman. “I believe it is a common thing that when people feel terrible uncertainty in the world, they want more control over their own environment. Marriage will allow me to have a feeling of peace at home.”
