Unedited, from the Saudi Gazette, Aug 19, 2015:
"JEDDAH — Makkah Emir Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, who is
also adviser to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has issued directives
to all regional governors in the province to hold urgent meetings with
tribal elders to finalize a document fixing a ceiling for dowry and
discuss ways to end extravagant weddings, the Saudi Press Agency
reported on Tuesday.
In a cable sent to the governors, Prince Khaled said he had noticed some
families had been demanding high dowries for their daughters,
eventually leading to an increase in spinsterhood in the country.
He said the situation required the intervention of the governors, who
shall prepare a document specifying the maximum amount of dowry to be
paid to different categories of brides after consultations with the
tribal leaders and sheikhs.
Prince Khaled suggested that the dowry for a virgin must be fixed at a maximum of SR50,000 and for a divorcee at SR30,000.
A recent study indicated that the number of spinsters in the Kingdom
nearly tripled to 4 million in 2015 from less than 1.5 million in 2010.
Sociologists have attributed the rise in spinsterhood in the Kingdom to
demands of high dowries and rising marriage expenses."
Dr Susanna: In Aug 2015, approx 4 SR to 1 USD. So a virgin will cost you approx USD12,500 and a divorcee will cost you approx USD7,500. Personally, I am cheering the virgins and urging them to escape being owned any way they can. Especially by ISIS.
