JEDDAH: The Finance and Social Affairs Ministries have rejected a proposal to provide SR50,000 in financial assistance to couples getting married, arguing that such aid would increase marriage costs.

This comes in the wake of a special committee proposing this aid for people getting married for the first time, and who earn less than SR10,000 a month, a local publication reported.

The committee, established through a royal decree to look into the issue of marital support, consists of representatives from 12 government bodies, including the Health, Justice, Islamic Affairs, Housing, Communications, Finance, Interior and Social Affairs Ministries and Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic, King Saud, and King Abdulaziz universities.