Why some Saudi women prefer to remain unmarried

Samar Al-Muqrin Al-Jazira

It is strange that the Ministry of Economy and Planning is so male-oriented when it comes to publishing statistics. The latest statistics released by the General Statistics Authority showed that the number of unmarried women in Saudi Arabia increased to four million by the end of 2015. There were no statistics for men. The ministry portrays the issue as a problem that has only to do with women without recognizing that unmarried men are a greater problem. These statistics are released annually and they inspire TV producers and newspaper columnists looking for causes and solutions. From a male perspective, the most efficient solution is polygamy. However, this derogatorily depicts marriage as an institution based on intimate contact and neglects the idea of couples forming worthwhile relationships. Regardless of all that, I see that all of the viewpoints and analyses of the problem have not gone deep enough into the main issue. This is because they do not consider the main reason why women are unmarried. Many of these women consider remaining single better than getting married. I have always believed that the majority of these women are simply abstaining from getting married. Saudi women know what is in their best interests. They do not want to enter the arms of any man, regardless of how handsome and how wealthy he may be. This is because they do not want to change from being unmarried only to end up being divorced. Marriage for a Saudi woman is something more than a shallow romance and a honeymoon. Marriage is a long-lasting contract in which she can be happy without fearing separation or divorce, something that will not only affect her but also her children, if she has any. Saudi women want a successful marriage that is full of happiness, if they are unable to achieve this then they prefer to remain unmarried.