Saudi expert questions statistics on divorce rates

A family consultant questioned the reliability of statistics released by the Justice Ministry that showed about 90 percent of marriages between Saudi women and foreign men were successful.

Dr. Fawziyah Ashmakh said it was important to verify the accuracy of these statistics.

“The longevity of these marriages does not mean there are no obstacles and problems, but it is a matter for women to prove to themselves and to society that their decision was correct,” she said.

However, the Makkah daily reported that the divorce rate for marriages between Saudi Arabians was 21 percent.

Yemenis represented the bulk of foreign men marrying Saudi women, followed by Syrians and Qataris. Saudi courts last year registered 1,925 marriages between Saudi women and foreign men, of which 190 ended in divorce, as opposed to 2,488 marriages between Saudi men and foreign women, of which 612 ended in divorce.

The article was first published in the Saudi Gazette