Running head: DIVORCE IN SAUDI ARABIA

Divorce in Saudi Arabia

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Causes of divorce in Saudi Arabia

There has been an exponential rise in rates of divorce cases in Saudi Arabia in recent

years, and the following are the contributing factors. First and foremost, domestic violence

has been recorded as the number one cause of increased divorce rates. Husbands and fathers

subject at least one out of every six women to verbal, physical, or emotional abuse. Close

family members have perpetrated 99 % of the domestic violence cases because Saudi women

are not allowed to travel out of their houses without close family members. Parental

interference is another cause of separation between couples in Saudi Arabia (Saudi divorce

rates rise by 50% | Saudi – Gulf News, n.d.). Many a time, parents have exerted full control

of their children's marriages and have hence focused on their desires rather than the happiness

of their children. Parents have, in the past, forced their children into early marriages as a

matter of satisfying their tribal or caste conveniences.

Cases have also been reported where mothers pull marriage strings for their son’s

making life difficult for their wives hence driving them to file for divorce. Issues of intimacy

have also contributed to divorce in Saudi Arabia. Several young couples have not had proper

sexual education, and the result of this is the lack of understanding of the physical needs of

each other. A failure to satisfy the body's requirements of either of the partners leads to

dissatisfaction in marriages. Lastly, unfavorable Saudi customs and laws restrict women in

marriages, which cause suppression in their minds leading to divorce. For example, women

are not allowed to drive and have to depend on their husbands to take them shopping entirely

and to other places (3 Major Causes of High Rate of Divorce in Saudi Arabia - Life in Saudi

Arabia, n.d.). Failure to satisfy this need by the husband leads to fights between the couples,

which have the effect of increasing divorce.

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Proposed solutions

As a result of the negative social impacts that divorce has on children of divorced

couples, measures should be taken to control the rates of divorce in the country. Some of the

proposed solutions that are likely to contribute to this reduction are as mentioned. First and

foremost, couples should go for premarital counseling, which aims to prepare them for what

to expect in marriages. The importance of premarital counseling is that couples can be armed

with tips and tools for dealing with problems that they might encounter in their marriages.

Also, counseling has proved to be effective in improving physical and emotional intimacy

between couples, which leads to an excellent overall relationship in marriage. Secondly,

parental interference in the marriage lives of their children should be put on the check and

limited because it is another cause of the rising rates of divorce in Saudi Arabia.

Parents should be reminded that their primary focus should be their children's

happiness and not their desires to satisfy tribal and caste needs. Husbands should, at all times,

realize that parents cannot make all marriage decisions for them. Hence, they should to taught

to include their spouses in decision making and better communication (A rundown on

reasons for the rising divorce rate in Saudi Arabia - Saudi Gazette, n.d.). Another viable

solution to the problem of lack of sexual understanding among married couples is proper

education. Proper education aims to prepare young couples for sexual relations with each

other, which in turn improves physical and emotional intimacy. Lastly, to sort the issue of

domestic violence, the negative patterns which often result in fights should be changed. This

is done by nurturing mutual respect between the couples and adapting to healthier marriage

habits that inspire happiness, such as honest communication, being respectful towards each

other, spending more quality time together, and taking full responsibility in marriage by

being accountable to the marriage vows.

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References

3 Major Causes of High Rate of Divorce in Saudi Arabia - Life in Saudi Arabia. (n.d.).

Retrieved March 20, 2020, from https://lifeinsaudiarabia.net/causes-of-divorces-in-

saudi-arabia/

A rundown on reasons for the rising divorce rate in Saudi Arabia - Saudi Gazette. (n.d.).

Retrieved March 20, 2020, from http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/527994

Saudi divorce rates rise by 50% | Saudi – Gulf News. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2020, from

https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/saudi-divorce-rates-rise-by-50-1.2109098