Saudi Gazette report

 

RIYADH — Courts all over the Kingdom looked into 2,715 divorce cases filed by husbands in the year 2011 compared with 1,071 filed by wives who wanted divorce, according to a report issued recently by the Ministry of Justice.

The courts also approved 330 divorce cases filed by non-Saudi wives against their Saudi husbands, the report noted.



Khulu cases (or divorce at the request of the wife) in Makkah Region alone hit 900. Makkah courts reviewed 3,382 marriage annulment cases filed by 2,715 Saudi husbands, 345 non-Saudi husbands married to non-Saudi wives, and 214 Saudi husbands married to non-Saudi wives, 108 non-Saudi husbands married to Saudi wives.



The report pointed out that the courts issued verdicts that allowed 1,099 divorced couples to get back together based on religious decrees made by scholars of the Senior Board of Ulema. In 2011, courts succeeded in reconciling 2,159 marriages.



The report noted an increase in divorce rate among Burmese spouses who live in Makkah Region.



Last December another report was issued by the ministry which stated that 1,988 Saudi women married non-Saudi husbands in 2011 while 2,640 Saudi husbands married non-Saudi women. The report mentioned that the Kingdom’s courts issued 162,880 marriage contracts in 2011 with Makkah Region registering the highest number of marriage contracts between non-Saudi husbands and Saudi wives at 584. Riyadh came second with 543 while the Eastern Province came third with 490.



According to the report, Al-Baha Region registered the lowest number of marriage contracts between non-Saudi husbands and Saudi wives. Only four marriages of this kind were registered.



Yemeni expatriates constituted the largest percentage of non-Saudi husbands marrying Saudi wives at 456. Kuwaiti nationals came second at 351, followed by Qataris at 247, Syrians at 149, Emiratis at 124, Egyptians at 111, Lebanese at 66, and Pakistanis 46.