In Saudi… who is to blame for high divorce rates

Saudi Arabia has one of the world’s highest divorce rates as nearly a fifth of the marriages do not last. Women blame “unfaithful” men for this negative phenomenon while husbands accuse “cosmetics loving” wives.

Although women say they spend much money on make up to look better and please their husbands, men appear to be no longer attracted to external looks as there have been many cases involving men having an affair with less beautiful women or sleeping with their housemaids.

In a report published in a Saudi newspaper this week, experts estimated Saudi women spent at least SR1.5 billion on cosmetics in 2010 and are projected to spend SR1.8 billion in 2014. But divorces are also expected to remain widespread as the number of spinsters will likely more than double in the next few years due to the negative impact of divorces on Saudis seeking marriage.

“I married my relative, who had always told me that I am his dream girl and that he sees no one else in the world except me…like other women, I believed him and agreed to marry him,” Fadwa, a Saudi woman, told Sabq newspaper.

“After we married, I started to care more for my appearance to please him…but then he began to change and started to spend more time outside…he was coming up with too many excuses until I found out about his relationship with a nurse…I controlled myself and started to think what has attracted him to a less beautiful woman…I could not find any reason so I simply asked for a divorce because I would rather be a divorced than a foolish woman.”

Another woman, identified as Maha, said she believes Arab men “love relationships outside marriage.”