A quarter of Saudis get divorced... Time to cut down on having four wives?

A divorce rate as high as 25% has raised concerns among experts. “The divorce rate is too high to dismiss and is extremely worrying,” said.

Princess Sara Bint Musaed, executive head of Mawadah, which operates the first office for women inside the Court of Personal Status in Riyadh. Princess Sara told Al-Hayat Arabic daily that divorce cases account for two-thirds of all court cases.

“Our legal system does not protect families from divorce. Often the couple is not aware of their rights as spouses and the legal counsellors do not do their job in educating the couple,” she said, adding that divorces are often the result of domestic violence.

“That is why Mawadah has the first office for women inside the Court of Personal Status in Riyadh. The office is considered an official representative of women in court by the Ministry of Justice,” said Princess Sara.

“We receive hundreds of women on a daily basis via Mawadah’s office,” said the head of the Court of Personal Status Sheikh Hamad Al-Zaid. “They come to receive legal and judicial advice with regard to their psychological, social, and financial statuses.” He added that the office helps the elderly, poor and handicapped to write their court proposals.