Qatar Family and Marriage Information and Statistics

Qatar is a member of the Gulf States in the Middle East. Geographically they are located on the eastern edge of Saudi Arabia south of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. Qatar tradition is based on Islamic values but does differ in some ways from the other Gulf States and Middle Eastern countries. Here is a brief summary of the Qatari family traditions and marriage process.

Arranged marriages are common in Qatar. The groom to be's mother and/or sisters approach potential brides and then later if interested, the groom will approach the family to discuss the possibility of marrying their daughter. One difference in Qatar from the other Gulf States is that the woman has the option to refuse the proposal. In other countries the woman would not usually have a say in the marriage, her parents and the parents of the groom would make the decision to wed. Another difference is that the marriages are done between separate families and not always within the same family, as most Gulf State Countries citizens marry cousins.

In Qatar the government has a say in who their citizens can marry. The Qatar government wants citizens to marry citizens from other Gulf State Countries. "One must get official permission to marry a non citizen, and the citizen may have to give up the promise of government employment and other benefits."(Countries and their Cultures) Polygamy is rapidly declining due to Qatar policies. A woman may legally file for divorce if her husband weds another wife. Divorce is not necessarily easily obtained, but both men and women can file for divorce. Children are awarded to the mother but custody transfers over to the father once the child reaches adolescence.

Qatari families are trending towards single family homes instead of multi-family households. Much like the culture of the Omani's, Qatar citizens keep in very close contact and usually live in the same neighborhood as family members. Having children is a highly coveted ability for every Qatari woman. If a woman is not able to bear children, she will have a medically produced baby, get a surrogate mother, or in some cases is unwanted by her partner and is divorced.

Sources:

"Countries and their Cultures". EveryCulture.com. 2007 Advameg. Inc. http://www.everyculture.com/index.html

Qatar:< http://www.everyculture.com/No-Sa/Qatar.html>

"Qatar Education". NationMaster.com. http://www.nationmaster.com/country/qa-qatar/edu-education