THE ROLE OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGES IN INCREASING CASES OF (DIVORCES BETWEEN SAUDI SPOUSES)

Abstract

The recent official data in Saudi Arabia depicts that the divorce rates increased in a great number that represents the fundamental social and economic changes in the Saudi family structure. This paper seeks to explore some of the major social influences and these are changing gender roles, effects of social media, and decreased importance of extended families, as well as economic stresses like escalated living expenses, financial stress, and employment insecurity. It used a quantitative methodology in the assessment of survey data of a large sample of Saudi people of diverse backgrounds with the aid of current government statistics. The results show that economic strain, economic empowerment of women and the destruction of the traditional family support are some of the most powerful forces behind divorce. The paper suggests the adoption of family-friendly policies which involve propaganda with the general population, financial stability and affirmative action policy, encouragement of effective communications and counseling between couples.