Summary
Bristol-Rhys posits that the issue of marriage has transformed into a costly affair in the United Arab Emirates. As it stands out, there are a number of Emirati males who would rather seek for spouses outside the confines of Emirati society largely due to the high cost of marriage. From the article, it is evident that the Emirati weddings have significantly changed since the last three decades. The author presents a systematic and analytical discussion of the culture behind Emirati marriages. In addition, the comprehensive changes that have taken place in the Emirati society have been part and parcel of public discussion. The fact that most Emirati men are no longer interested in marrying women from the Emirati society explains why there has been intense debate in this area. The author also observes that there is an increasing rate of divorce in the Emirati society. Worse still, legible Emirati women who have not been married are on the increase.
Reactions on issues addressed in the paper
To begin with, it is interesting to mention that the socio-political environment of UAE is highly conservative. This expounds why it has been almost impossible to break the social bond that defines culture among the Emirati population. Needless to say, marriage is one of the most profound traditions in the Emirati society. Moreover, the tradition of marriage in this society demands that all legal conjugal affairs should be restricted within the Emirati society.
In other words, marriages are not supposed to be conducted between Emiratis and non-Emiratis. While the latter may be the reality, it is interesting to mention that Emirati men have defied the odds and opted to seek for preferred spouses elsewhere. Perhaps, the conservative culture that surrounds marriage is gradually being eroded away. In any case, the author is emphatic that drastic changes in the entire perception about marriage is taking a different twist altogether.
The role played by the mass media is yet another factor to put into consideration. It is highly likely that the issue of marriage and the changing trends in the United Arab Emirates have been overrated by the media. For instance, there could be other factors that compel Emirati men to marry outside the UAE society. It can be recalled that the world has become a global village and as such, the UAE men are currently in a position to ‘see beyond the horizon’. Most of the UAE men who are legible for marriage are mainly comprised of young people. A number of them interact with the outside world quite often contrary to some decades ago.
Globalisation has also immensely contributed towards weak local cultural practices. As much as the UAE culture on marriage has been extremely conservative for several decades, the impact of globalisation is gradually debunking a number of myths. Therefore, the changing trends on marriage cannot be entirely blamed on the alleged high cost. The media has apparently circumvented the issue multiple times to an extent that the reality on the ground can no longer be visualised. Besides, most media reports are composed of personal opinions, skewed judgments and reports compiled from informal sources. It may be erroneous to make logical conclusions from unwarranted media reports. The main role played by media houses is to inform the public about the emerging news and prevailing trends in society.
The present trends in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries are quite similar to those in the Emirates. The author posits that non-nationals are married to at least 33 percent of men from the Gulf Cooperation Council states. However, lack of credible or official statistics is a major challenge in the reporting system of the current trends.
Inflation in the amount paid as dowry has been definitely worsened by the presence of oil. Why is it that dowry could be easily afforded some 50 years ago? The truth of the matter is that after the invention of oil, the Emirati society must have diverted its initial target for dowry. Although mahr (dowry) is a crucial component in marriage, it beats logic why the amount has sharply risen ever since oil was officially discovered in the Emirates.
It is indeed true that public pronouncements are also to blame in the rising cost of marriage. However, such statements may have different intentions. There might be some segments of the Emirati population that favours the inflated dowries while others objecting the same move.
Apart from the traditional demand for dowry, the modern Emirati society apparently values wedding ceremonies. The author notes that most of the wedding functions she has attended are often crowded with visitors. Hence, most Emirati men may opt to conduct marriages with non-nationals in order to avoid the related high expenses. This implies that both the aspect of dowry and wedding preparation costs have overwhelmed the young Emirati men. Substantial facilities are required in order to conduct expansive wedding ceremonies.
Lack of sincerity in the weddings carried out in Emirati society is evident due to a number of reasons. For example, there are myriads of western values and practices that have been incorporated in modern marriages. To a large extent, western styles of marriages are quite costly compared to the customary marriages that used to be carried out in UAE. Therefore, we may not entirely blame the oil factor in the rising cost of wedding expenses. The changing tastes, preferences and lifestyles have significantly transformed the whole scenario and perception about marriage in the United Arab Emirates.
The prevailing public discourse on the escalating cost of marriage may never offer any solution to the current menace. It can be recalled that it has taken a number of decades ever since Sheikh Zayed lamented about the exorbitant marriage costs. Nonetheless, there is nothing much that has materialised in regards to the high cost of marriage. Unless appropriate pieces of legislations are put in place, it will still be a nightmare for the young male Emiratis to afford the expenses attached to marriage. In particular, the issue of dowry might continue to be a major bone of contention if necessary legislations are not embraced and adopted as soon as possible.
Finally, the growing trend of lavish and conspicuous spending among the Emiratis should be treated as a completely separate entity from the demands posed by dowry. Lavish lifestyles are individual choices that can hardly affect the entire segment of the Emirati population. Hence, the key concern at this point should be the escalating dowry payments. As already mentioned in this reaction paper, dowry is the main issue for most Emiratis who marry women outside UAE. If the price tag for dowry can be sensibly brought down, the current marital patterns may gradually be reversed.