THE TELEGRAPH: The Grand Mufti of Dubai is calling for a curb in marriages between locals and foreigners as the price of marrying native brides has soared to more than £300,000.
The number of Emiratis marrying foreigners has risen by 10 per cent in the last four years, according to recent figures.
Officials and religious leaders blame the rising costs of dowries and extravagant wedding ceremonies and parties for encouraging “ordinary” local men to seek foreign wives, who cost less to marry.
Dr Ahmad al-Haddad, Dubai's Grand Mufti, the country's most senior Islamic scholar, wants to restrict foreign marriages to allow only Muslim, Arab spouses, and a maximum age difference of 25 years. For men, it would have to be his first and only wife.
“In Islam, choosing your life partner is a personal freedom,” the Grand Mufti said at a gathering in honour of the holy month of Ramadan. “But personal freedoms can be restricted for the benefit of the public interest.”
His proposals are unlikely to be welcomed, while he may have difficulty persuading Dubai’s ruler to approve his suggestion. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum took a Jordanian princess as his second wife, and would have fallen foul of the new rules. >>>Richard Spencer, Dubai | Tuesday, August 24, 2010
