Saudi writer proposes ‘divorce tax’ to stem trend

Says revenue can help marriage seekers

ASaudi writer has proposed levying a divorce tax on any of married couples who seek it in an attempt to curb high divorce rates in the kingdom.

In an article titled ‘We need a divorce tax’, Talal Al Gashgari argued that revenue from the proposed tax should go into a fund allocated for supporting people who want to get married.

“Divorce cases have increased so much that there is one case every 10 minutes,” he wrote in the Saudi newspaper Al Madina.

“This means that while you operate your mobile or iPad, there is a married couple somewhere in our country that has got divorced for the first, the second or third times,” Al Gashgari said.

Think twice

The writer suggested the “divorce tax” be exorbitant enough to make each of the married couple thinks twice before asking for divorce.

“Whoever insists on divorce, then he or she has to pay the tax into a fund to be allocated for those wishing to get married.”