Divorce on the rise in Oman, while marriages drop

Divorce rates climbing in Oman (Shutterstock)

DUBAI: The number of divorces in Oman has spiked, while the number of people getting married is at a five-year low, national daily Times of Oman reported, citing government statistics, but there has been a slight increase in the number of Omanis marrying people from other countries.
There were 3,736 divorce certificates issued across the country in 2016 – the highest number in four years.
Overall the figures revealed that there had been 10 divorces a day recorded, while then number marriages stood at 67, the report added, stating that the 24,016 marriage certificates were issued – the lowest in five years.
Oman is made up of 11 governorates (states), of those nine saw a decline in the number of marriages.
Meanwhile there was a 23 percent increase in the number of Omani men marrying women from other countries, while the report said there was a “jump” in the amount of Omani women marrying foreign nationals, although no figures were provided.
Dr. Abdulmajeed Al-Aghbari, a specialist in arbitration and reconciliation law said he believed that a lack of communication was the biggest issue.
“There are a number of reasons why we have seen a rise in the number of divorces. Cultural differences could be one reason, a different level of education, lack of knowledge of the duties and obligations of married life, but the important reason is a lack of communication,” Al-Aghbari said.
“Couples nowadays do not communicate with each other and this is a very big problem. When faced with issues, a couple does not go to marriage experts to consult them, and so the issue grows and leads to divorce.”