Farida Syed solemnized the wedding of her three sons and a daughter in Jeddah. She is among the many South Asian expatriate parents in the Kingdom who are preferring to accomplish their children's nuptial ceremonies here. Lengthy Iqama transfer and visa procedures to bring either of the spouse to the Kingdom, the anticipated lavish wedding celebrations in home countries and the concomitant cultural transition for the families involved are among few reasons egging on expats to opt for local weddings. Matchmakers and matchmaking agencies have cashed in on the trend, with many of them spurring to ply their services locally. Aneesa Rayees, a Jeddah-based match maker considers three reasons for the bent towards local weddings. “Firstly, because we have a limited Asian community here, people usually know each other making it easier to investigate about the prospective bride/bridegroom,” she said. Rayees said that when expats visit their home countries for vacation, they spend a limited time of two to three months there, making it difficult to carry out all the necessary investigation. “Secondly,” she said “a wide cultural gap is created as people staying here tend to become more religious, while those in India or Pakistan may be slightly less staunch,” she said. Rayees believes that a third factor favoring local marriages is a sense of connectivity that binds people of the same nationality beyond any provincialism. “Different marital customs are generalized and easily adopted by the two families; so a marriage here is based more on compromise rather than conflict,” she said. Saba Sidiqui, another matchmaker said that settlement of a marriage is a less-complicated affair here. “There is slight or no involvement of relatives, so it is easier for both families to negotiate pre-marital affairs and reach better decisions,” she said. Siddiqui said that girls from other countries find it difficult to adjust here as “they come from a relatively liberal atmosphere and very soon start missing their parents and relatives,” she said. She said that because of cumbersome visa and Iqama transfer procedures, local marriages are proving to be a boon, as both the bride and the bridegroom are holders of a residence permit. “It is a matter of convenience,” she said. Obtaining a family visa depends on the profession mentioned on the Iqama. Those holding a lower category of profession like that of a labor, tailor, driver, clerk, utility person or a watchman / guard are not entitled to receive a family visa, while those with a higher professional category like that of an accountant, managerial position, IT programmer, sales representative, legal advisor, engineer, doctor or motor mechanic are applicable for a family visa. An applicant has to submit his degree attested by their country's consulate in the Kingdom and a sponsor's/company letter stating a minimum salary of SR3500 and above. The applicant has to be at least a graduate or a professional degree holder or a worker coming on labor visa. An applicant on labor visa can apply for a family visa for a government fee of SR2000. Once the profession is changed in the Iqama, a family visa will be issued within a week. Basha Nawas Khan, a legal advocate said that an Iqama transfer is a relatively easier process, given that both the husband and wife are Iqama holders. “The husband can apply with his attested marriage certificate and a no-objection certificate from his sponsor and a fee of SR2000,” he said, adding that it takes three to four days for the completion of the Iqama transfer process. “Obtaining a visa is not very difficult in itself, but it is impossible when expats with low category profession Iqama try to obtain a family visa, since most of the South Asian expats belong to that category,” he said. Local wedding ceremonies are relatively more economical than those in other countries. An average wedding celebration in the Kingdom for an approximate of 200 guests would cost around SR8000-SR12,000 according to a local restaurant manager. He said that the same in countries like India, Pakistan or Bangladesh would cost more than double the expenditure, since there, a wedding hall's rent excludes the cost of food. Maha Shahid, an Indian said that her daughter's henna and wedding ceremony in India cost her over Rs.345,000 (SR30, 000). “Surely, if the ceremony would be conducted here, it would have not cost me more than SR15,000,” she said. Some parents living here say that their children are not mature enough to understand the complications involved in a joint family system since they were brought up in a nuclear family. A desire to mediate in case of any marital dispute urges many parents to look for alliances within the Kingdom.. “My daughter is very naïve and may not be able to adjust with the fast pace of life in India; I will not marry her anywhere outside the country so that I can help and support her when required,” said Shugufta Sheikh, an Indian in Jeddah. For most people who see the Kingdom from a bird's view consider its life to be difficult and less liberal. They say that there are few good activities and entertainment options here. “When in Bangladesh I was finding a match for my son, I was surprised to see that people were not interested to send their daughters here, as they think that one can only have a sedentary life here, plus a life made difficult by strict laws,” said Naseem Hassan from Bangladesh. __
