Oman divorce rates double in 2020 amid Covid-19 pandemic

Divorcees said job losses and the emotional stress caused by the fallout from the coronavirus crisis as having put strain on their relationships

Divorce rates in four of the seven emirates fell by 17.9 per cent in 2020. Getty Images

Divorce rates in Oman rose by almost 50 per cent in 2020, compared to the previous year, with pressures caused by the pandemic thought to be the main cause.

Official statistics from the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs show there were 1,113 divorces in Oman during the year, an increase of 49.5 per cent.

About 60 per cent were filed by expatriate couples through their respective embassies.

Among foreigners Indian nationals accounted for the highest number, followed by Egyptians and Pakistanis.

The statistics report gave no reasons for the divorces, but divorcees speaking to The National cited job losses and the emotional stress caused by the fallout from the coronavirus crisis as having put strain on their relationships.
Jeffery MacMillan, 33, a UK national working in the energy sector in Muscat, said he was given three month's notice from his employers seven weeks ago and the loss of his job drove a wedge between him and his wife.
"The fact that I will no longer be able to pay the mortgage for our house back home frustrated my wife," he told The National.
"I did not even complete two years working in Oman before the pandemic hit. We bought the house just six months after we got here. We were happy before the pandemic but my wife was not happy that we were going to lose the house," said Mr MacMillan.
As a result, the couple have separated and Mr McMillan said his estranged wife is filing for divorce.
Mahmood Abdelkawi, 31, an Egyptian national and a salesman in a retail sector, said a reduced income during the pandemic period led to the breakdown of his marriage.
"I have not lost my job but my employer cut my wages by almost half. For me, it is better than nothing, but my wife thought it was difficult to continue living in Oman. She left and went back to Cairo," he said.
"That was in September last year. By mid-November, she asked for divorce and I granted it. I am still here trying to keep my job in the hope my now ex-wife will return if my full salary is reinstated some time this year."
Last week, official government statistics revealed that about 300,000 expatriates had left Oman in 2020, many of whom had seen their contracts terminated because of the pandemic.
Omanis have also struggled to stay married because of the stress of pandemic and the lockdowns.
"The Covid-19 situation was driving us apart," said Majid Al Kindi, 28, an electrical engineer living in Muscat who had been married for only 18 months.

"It was OK until the summer, then things started to go bad between us when we could not go for our summer holiday abroad because of travel restrictions. It got worse during lockdown, when both of us were working online.

The couple agreed to a mutual divorce two months ago.

"I guess we saw each other a lot and that put a tremendous strain on the relationship. Maybe when things get better we might get back together," he said. 
Under Islamic law, married couples can divorced twice and remarry; However, they cannot get remarried after the third divorce.
Omani national Aisha Al Msalahi, 34, a secondary schoolteacher from Muscat, also saw her marriage crumble in 2020 after five years together.

For Ms Al Msalahi and her husband, the pandemic was just a smokescreen for deeper issues.

“He divorced me in November last year. He was in a sullen mood for many months and blamed his depression on Covid-19 stress without really telling my why," she said.

"Then I found out he had a secret relationship but used the pandemic as an excuse to divorce me."
Marriage counsellors some couples who were inseparable before lockdown now could not live within the same walls.
"Last year was hard for couples," Rahma Al Farsi, a marriage therapist, said.

"I think being together for long hours while working online under the same roof is a major cause. Suddenly they saw too much of each other, whereas before the pandemic they were so busy and trying to find time for each other."