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| Magic Kingdoms old maids |
| 2004-02-27 |
| EFL Last year the Ministry of Planning issued a report on the number of unmarried women in Saudi Arabia — an alarming 1. 5 million. Dr. Abdullah Al-Fawzan, a sociologist at King Saud University, later produced a study about hazards to the Saudi families, in which he cited unmarried women. He also listed a number of reasons for this. One of these reasons, he said, was that the mindset or prejudices of people in the Kingdom have not changed over the years. He’s not just making this up. He said that as people moved from a rural to a metropolitan environment over the decades, this should have meant a concomitant change in customs and social norms — including how girls get married — but that has not happened. In the past, a girl’s family had to wait for a suitable man to come forward with his family and propose. Because towns and villages were small and most people knew one another, tying the knot was not a problem. [
.] Now in big cities, where residents number in their millions and few people even know their next-door neighbors, it is common for a Saudi woman to continue to be single into her late twenties hoping and waiting for fate to come knocking on her door. [
.] It remains a social taboo for a woman to propose to a man, or even for the father of a single girl to mention that he has a daughter to the parents of an eligible bachelor. The Magic Kingdom needs a Sadie Hawkins Day. The enormous cost of marriage is another reason why many women remain single. Last year, Arab News published a report that the average cost of tying the knot for a Saudi man is SR165,000. Expenses include dowry, the cost for wedding parties for men and women, rent, furniture, gold and jewelry, home appliances, and so forth. If the first paycheck for most Saudi college graduates is SR4,000 in the government sector, how long will it take for them to save up to get married, even if they save half their salary? [
] Priorities of Saudi women have also changed. In the past, a Saudi girl was brought up to think that her first priority in life was marriage. That came first and everything else followed. Now, due to the economic and social changes in our society, a Saudi girl’s first priority is finishing her studies. Her second priority would be to find a job. And only her third priority would be marriage. Bearing in mind that most Saudi men prefer brides between the ages of 16 and 25, that means that it is mostly likely that when a girl graduates from college, if no one comes forward to ask for her hand during her college years or soon after, she is most likely to become a spinster because she will seem old in the eyes of most Saudi men. Of course there are other factors contributing to the growing number of unmarried women, not least among them that tribal laws dictate that a woman cannot get married to a man who is not a member of her tribe. [
.] Meanwhile Saudi men continue to look for brides abroad. It’s a whole lot cheaper. |
| Posted by:GK |
| #11 Guilty as charged! To be honest, I haven't a clue (and I did try, honest!) who could be substituted - I've never considered anyone to be her / their equal - proving I'm blinded by my age and very insensitive! Suggestions? I know they won't include a Saudi femalian! |
| Posted by: .com 2004-2-27 4:49:12 PM |
| #10 Well, I nearly make the age cut. I just felt you needed to be sensitive to our more youth-challenged members here. |
| Posted by: whitecollar redneck 2004-2-27 4:42:03 PM |
| #9 wr - Lol! We, assuming you're really an old fart too (!!!), should be chasing Sophia Loren, bro! Remember, she liked even older men! |
| Posted by: .com 2004-2-27 4:09:26 PM |
| #8 Now you're just being ageist .com What about old farts? |
| Posted by: whitecollar redneck 2004-2-27 3:17:49 PM |
| #7 I worked with a young Saudi woman (where you work within Aramco determines if you have any contact with femalians!!!) who had all the potential in the world. The society had done a job on her and she was so shy about speaking up it was painful to watch. I felt like her father and defended her when her male Saudi peers denigrated her skills and smirked at every suggestion she made. She "lucked out" (not really) and, due to family connections, was offered a job assignment in the US - which pissed the males off mightily. Interestingly, after 9/11, these asshats were no longer eager to go to the US. I can't imagine why... One thing is certain, she will never return to Saudi -- those family connections allowed her to get the most prized thing in the world for a femalian Saudi: a solo passport. So if you live in the [mumble-mumble] area and are under 35, I know a drop-dead winner Saudi femalian... ;-) |
| Posted by: .com 2004-2-27 3:13:53 PM |
| #6 Redneck, Cool, there was something recently about The Saudi chicks going gay, probs because the guys are humping the camels and each other. You could order two dishwashers that love each other and enjoy for 6 months, whilst integrating them. ;) |
| Posted by: Rhodesiafever 2004-2-27 2:37:26 PM |
| #5 Sean, you must not have been in the military. It doesn't take long for "concerned" American women to clue a newly minted "war bride" into the real deal in the US. I'd say dishwashing would last about six months. |
| Posted by: whitecollar redneck 2004-2-27 11:22:33 AM |
| #4 This would be an excellent time to start a mail order bride business...Seriously! First, many Saudi women are good looking, and I'm sure that they don't mind washing dishes. Second, the more women not in the Land of Saud translates into less children born in the Land of Saud....Think of it as a demographic implosion, much like that of the EU. Third, once Saudi women learn of the freedom in the Western World a snowball effect might occur culturally. |
| Posted by: Sean 2004-2-27 11:03:12 AM |
| #3 Amazonia lives! course it might be all in my mind. damn meds. |
| Posted by: john 2004-2-27 10:53:33 AM |
| #2 Some societies are just too stupid to survive... |
| Posted by: Hiryu 2004-2-27 9:10:09 AM |
| #1 It remains a social taboo ... for the father of a single girl to mention that he has a daughter When Allah created the universe, one of his main ideas was that a man should not mention that he has a daughter. |
| Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-2-27 8:28:23 AM |