Riyadh and the Eastern Province ranked first among the Kingdom’s 13 provinces in terms of the number of residency, custody and alimony cases filed by women against their husbands.

Makkah Province also has a large share of these cases, which doubled last month in comparison with the corresponding period last year.

Eastern Province courts registered 99 cases of alimony and accommodation last month, accounting for 20.9 percent of the total number of cases. It had registered 73 cases, accounting for 17 percent of the total number of cases during the same month last year. Riyadh ranked first, with 194 registered cases last month, compared to 146 the previous year.

Ibrahim Al-Shathari, legal adviser said: “A divorcee should have certain concessions from her former husband if she gives up alimony. The courts can’t solve the issue even though the assistance of certain rights’ commissions are sought to find solutions to alimony issues.”

“For instance, women are forced to give up their alimony in return for visitation rights for children,” he said.

According to statistics published by the Ministry of Justice, alimony cases in the Eastern Province are neither high nor low, while Riyadh is witnessing a noticeable increase in such cases, with Makkah registering 128 cases, he said.

Custody cases in the Eastern Province stood at 650 last year and 581 in 2011. “Custody cases vary and Riyadh and the Eastern Province are most prominent,” he said. “Courts find it difficult to issue a ruling in these cases because of the absence of a civil status law or courts that deal with family issues. Such cases usually drag on for a long time before a ruling is issued.”

“The Human Rights Commission receives cases related to custody, alimony and accommodation,” said Nouf Radwan, a social expert in family affairs. “Some of these cases are referred to the judiciary.

Our role as a right’s commission is still limited and needs to be developed to enable us to intervene effectively. This will speed up rulings and the completion of documentation, while reducing women’s visits to courts. Women shouldn’t feel frustrated or unjustly treated because they only ask for what has been given to them by Shariah.”