Six couples that ended their marriage just less than ten days after tying the knot were the shortest marriages registered in the UAE last year. One of these couples divorced after two days of marriage, while the marriage of another couple lasted for only three days.
The longest marriages documented in the same period were two couples that separated after 56 years and 49 years.
As per the latest figures by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), these cases were among the 596 divorce cases registered in the UAE in 2022. The figures also revealed that divorce cases dropped from 648 cases in 2021 to 596 cases in 2022.
The study unveiled that there were 290 divorces among Emirati couples, whereas 180 were for expat and female citizens and non-citizens couples.
Family counsellors and psychologists in UAE attribute infidelity or extra-marital affairs, physical and verbal abuse, poor or lack of communication, lack of preparation and commitment, social media, spouses’ failure to assume responsibilities and unrealistic expectations are some of the main causes for early divorces in the UAE.
“Many people prepare for the wedding and not marriage. When partners are not committed to each other, they may fail to put enough effort into their relationship, and with time, it may weaken the connection between them and lead to divorce,” Dr Dolly Habbal, a clinical psychologist working with Advanced Cure, said.
“When you are in a committed relationship, you need to reassess your priorities and to think about both of you and not only you.”
Habbal also mentioned incompatibility and different mindsets and personalities as other reasons for early divorces. She said this results in constant fights and arguments as each spouse wants to prove that their side is right rather than engaging in genuine conversations and making compromises.
