Divorce has become so common an occurrence in modern times that the news of a couple lasting over a decade shocks us more than that of a couple divorcing after a year together. In fact, even the reasons for divorces have gotten ridiculous over the years; from "she did not close the car's door" to "the dish she prepared had too much salt", every excuse in the book has been used.
However, a Saudi man has made headlines globally for being the first man to divorce his bride on the wedding night. The couple had reportedly agreed to the arranged marriage without having even met once. According to Saudi customs, the prospective bride and groom are allowed one glance at each other befor the wedding but the couple refused the opportunity.
It was after the marriage ceremony, when the photographer got them ready for the post-wedding photo shoot, that the man saw his new bride's face. As the women of both families were celebrating the wedding, the man told his bride, "You are not the girl I want to marry. You are not the one I had imagined. I am sorry, but I divorce you," Gulf News reports.
The bride, utterly shocked by the groom's announcement, had a nervous breakdown and was rushed to a hospital, according to reports. The woman claimed that she had agreed to the marriage under family pressure.
The man, who has been branded as "totally irresponsible" and "utterly insensitive", is receiving a huge backlash from the online community.
Meanwhile, another Saudi man divorced his wife for not responding to his Whatsapp messages. Thanks to the new blue tick marks, the man is sure that she read his messages but did not reply as she was too busy talking to her friends. Gulf News reported that the last straw was when the man left work to check on her when she did not respond to a string of messages, only to find her relaxing at home and watching TV.
In Saudi Arabia, men have a unilateral right to divorce their wives without the backing of any legal justification, while a wife can only obtain a divorce if she can prove that her husband has harmed her. After the divorce, the husband is obligated to provide financial support to his wife for a period of four months and ten days.
