Divorce on the Rise in Arab Nations
Divorce is on the rise in Arab nations and the leading cause is debt. Other factors include violence, abuse, adultery, and differences in nationality. Historically divorce has not been a common occurrence in the Arab world and in some countries it is still strictly forbidden. However, as some Arab nations become increasingly Westernized marriage laws have become less restrictive. This report explains more:
In Sharjah, a member of the seven-strong federation, statistics showed that divorce cases increased to 34 percent in 2008 from 26 percent in 2001. UAE nationals made up 60 percent of the cases.The Social Affairs Ministry is planning to conduct a study on the rise of divorce cases in the UAE after the Federal National Council, the country’s legislative body, expressed mounting concerns about the issue, “999″ said.
”The main cause of divorce is debt,” Mohammed Suleiman Al Faraj, a fatwa (Islamic verdicts) advisor at the Abu Dhabi Courts’ Family Guidance department, was quoted as saying.
”Other causes are bad treatment, family interference from outside, violence and drunkenness and living with the family of one of the partners,” he said.
Women’s difficulty in balancing work and family commitments, conflict in nationality and social traditions and suspicions about the partner’s behavior are also contributory factors to divorce, Al Faraj added.


