SAUDI GAZETTE



CAKES, candles and party invitations nowadays mark divorces in the Kingdom. Many young females celebrate what deemed to be tragic incident in life as a step forward to a new beginning and into a bright future.



Although divorce parties have gained popularity in Saudi society in the past five years, many people are against such celebrations. They describe it as abnormal behavior and culturally unacceptable.



Divorce parties in Saudi Arabia rival weddings in both scale and emotional content. Newly divorced women appear at these lavish parties wearing white or colorful dresses. They invite friends and relatives to homes, luxury hotels, public parks or even wedding halls. Themed cakes and catering services are part of the arrangements. The costs may reach several thousand riyals.



According to a report published in The Media Line website under the title "Divorce Rates Skyrocket in Saudi Arabia," divorce rates have increased dramatically in the Kingdom. Quoting Justice Ministry statistics for 2016, the report said around 127 divorces take place in the Kingdom per day. It said in Jeddah the divorce rate increased 50 percent over 2015.



Hesham Almadani, a Saudi man, says people who celebrate their divorce have forgotten their religion. He believes divorce is not something to be proud of.



Reema Samir, a private company employee in her 30s, said, “Holding divorce parties is a very silly action. Even though there were many problems between the married couples before divorce, having a party is not an appropriate step. I think a woman or the man who celebrates divorce has a psychological issue. Because most divorced couples act weirdly after the breakup and their lifestyle, attitude or personality alter, maybe because of the grief or shock that they are going through.”



She added that families should educate their children who want to celebrate their divorce on the inappropriateness of holding parties for friends and relatives. They should be told that such behavior amounts to debasing their ex-husbands or ex-wives.



Samah Mohammed, a Saudi private sector employee in her late 20s, said one of her friends held a divorce party at her house where she invited her close friends. She bought a cake and wore a new dress.



“I knew she did it to prove to herself that she was strong without him and she wanted to avoid the pain of being alone. When she asked her about the reason behind this party she said she wanted to begin a new life full of peace, so she thought celebrating the divorce could be a positive move,” said Mohammed.



Although the divorce parties have become a trend in the Kingdom recently, it is not a new phenomenon in the Middle East. Egyptian actors Mohamed Fawzi and Madiha Yousri were the first celebrity couple in the region to throw a divorce party. They invited the media and friends to their house for dinner and then announced the news of their divorce.