A MINISTRY of Justice report showed there were 33,954 divorces and 434 cases of khula (petitioning for a divorce without the husband's consent and without having to prove any grounds for wanting it) in 2014, while marriages numbered 11,817 in the same year. Ministry statistics published on its website show that cases of divorce last year increased by more than 8,000 compared to the previous year. Some experts warn that divorce cases are on the rise in Saudi society; 25 percent of marriages end with a divorce according to some reports, which exceeds global rates that range between 18 percent and 22 percent. Increasing cases of divorce have become an alarming issue in Saudi society, which is also experiencing high rates of unmarried women and men reluctant to get married for different reasons. Makkah region topped the list in issuing divorce agreements in 2014 with 9,945 cases. Jeddah topped the list of cities with 5,306 cases, followed by Makkah with 2,326, then Taif with 1,459. The report shows that marriages increased in 2014 by 30 percent compared to the previous year with 77,512 marriages, including 12,649 involving non-Saudi spouses. The high rates of divorce and spinsterhood are attributed to several factors including the negative concepts that spread in our society. These include tribalism and sectarian bigotry that were prohibited by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). When referring to racism, he said: “Leave it; it is rotten.” Other factors can be the financial boom the country witnessed in the last few years, because of which many young people became independent and were readily prepared to get a divorce. Other factors include the foreign cultural influence that greatly affected the youths' behavior and attitude toward marriage and the extravagance seen in wedding parties, which constitutes a heavy financial burden on young men planning to get married. Allah prohibits extravagance and excessiveness as He said in Surat Al-A'raf: “O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.”
