Divorce rate spikes during COVID- 19 lockdown in Saudi Arabia

Divorce rates have increased by nearly 96.7 per cent during the lockdown imposed by Saudi Arabia to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Justice said.

According to the ministry’s monthly report, the number of divorce certificates issued in June reached 4,079; 53 per cent in the Riyadh and Makkah regions.

“The number of divorce certificates issued daily across the Kingdom has ranged between 117 and 289 certificates while the number of monthly divorce certificates for the previous 12-month period has ranged between 134 and 7,500 certificates,” it said.

Lawyer Assem Al-Mulla said several reasons have contributed to the increasing divorce rate including marital problems, lack of agreement between couples, the increasing financial demands on the husband, as well as the husband’s misconduct, such as drug abuse or violent behaviour.

Al-Mulla stressed that premarital courses must be mandatory to help couples understand their roles and duties.

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