Divorce in the United Arab Emirates: Causes and Impacts
This paper examines the phenomenon of divorce in the United Arab Emirates, which records the highest divorce rate in the Arab Gulf. Drawing on an in-depth review of academic literature, demographic surveys, and qualitative studies, the paper outlines the principal causes of divorce in the UAE, including infidelity, financial difficulties, arranged marriages, early marriage age, polygamy, and poor communication. It also discusses the legal framework governing divorce under Sharia law and highlights the disproportionate social and emotional burden placed on divorced women within Emirati society. The paper concludes by acknowledging gaps in the existing literature and calling for further anthropological and sociological research on Arab family structures.
- Introduction: UAE has highest divorce rate in Arab Gulf
- Aims and Methodology: Literature review approach to UAE divorce causes
- Literature Review: Causes of Divorce in the UAE: Infidelity, finance, polygamy, and early marriage
- Legal Framework: Divorce Under Sharia Law: Sharia courts and gendered divorce procedures
- Findings: Impacts of Divorce: Women bear disproportionate social and financial burden
- Discussion and Conclusion: Gaps in research and call for further study
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper synthesizes multiple qualitative and quantitative sources to build a coherent picture of a under-researched topic, citing specific statistics (e.g., 46% of divorces linked to infidelity, 31.5% of divorced women married before age 15) that lend empirical weight to its claims.
- It balances cultural, religious, legal, and economic dimensions of divorce rather than reducing the issue to a single cause, demonstrating multidimensional analytical thinking.
- The paper is transparent about its limitations, openly acknowledging gaps in the literature regarding social class, age discrepancy, and the impact of divorce on children.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective use of a literature review as a primary research method. Rather than conducting original fieldwork, the author synthesizes existing qualitative studies, demographic surveys, and legal analyses to draw conclusions — a valid approach when primary data collection is constrained. The explicit acknowledgment of the method's limitations in the conclusion reflects sound academic practice.
Structure breakdown
The paper follows a standard academic structure: an introduction establishing context and significance, an aims and methodology section explaining the research approach, a literature review organizing causes thematically, a legal framework section, a findings section on social impact, and a discussion and conclusion that identifies limitations and directions for future research. References are formatted in APA style.
Introduction
The Arab family can be described as pyramidally hierarchical with regard to age, sex, and extended kinship. In Arab society, marriage is designed and approved primarily for procreation and parenting. It is not regarded as a simple agreement between two individuals but rather as an agreement between their respective families. Hence, marriage is carefully observed by both families and subjected to a number of severe regulations, strict procedures, and boundaries meant to prevent its failure.
However, marriage failure is highly prevalent across the Arab world in general, and the UAE records the highest divorce rate in the Arab Gulf (El-Saadani, 2006). According to a study conducted by the Marriage Fund (2009), more than a fifth of all UAE marriages end in divorce.
Aims and Methodology
The aim of this review is to present the divorce procedure in the UAE and to highlight some of the major reasons behind the divorce phenomenon, as well as its impacts on members of the family and on society more broadly. There is relatively little research literature on divorce in the UAE, let alone its causes and effects. The current paper therefore attempts to explore the dynamic factors of divorce and their social underpinnings, reviewing such factors in current literature and presenting the most common reasons that have contributed to the emergence of divorce in the UAE. To achieve this, the author conducted an in-depth review of internet-based academic papers, online articles, and demographic surveys on the subject.
References
Al Gharaibeh, F., and Bromfield, N.F. (2012). An analysis of divorce cases in the United Arab Emirates: A rising trend. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 53(6), 436–452.
Al Jandaly, B. (2013). Divorce in the United Arab Emirates. International Family Law Online Website. Retrieved November 10, 2013, from http://www.international-divorce.com/uae_divorce.htm
Barakat, H. (2010). The Arab world: Society, culture and state. Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Crabtree, S.A. (2007). Culture, gender and the influence of social change amongst Emirati families in the United Arab Emirates. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 38(4), 575–587.
El-Saadani, S.M. (2006). Divorce in the Arab region: Current levels, trends and features. Retrieved November 10, 2013, from
Pathak, S. (2013). 10 reasons why UAE marriages fail. Gulf News. Retrieved from http://gulfnews.com/about-gulf-news/al-nisr-portfolio/xpress/news/10-reasons-why-uae-marriages-fail-1.1227513
Schavaneveldt, P.L., Kerpelman, J.L., and Schavaneveldt, J. (2005). Generational and cultural changes in family life in the United Arab Emirates: A comparison of mothers and daughters. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 36(1), 77–91.
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