The lack of quality time with family and loved ones is one of 
the major reasons for marriage 
break-ups in the country, say family guidance experts.Misunderstandings and alcohol consumption are the other major problems leading to divorce, said Adil Hussain Al Rabeeah, Abu Dhabi Municipality’s public relations manager.

“People tend to spend more time with friends than with family and children,  and this is one of the very important reasons for divorce,” he said, while announcing the launch of the Abu Dhabi National Campaign for Social Cohesion 2009 from March 8- 18.

Quoting a recent survey, he said about 30 per cent of divorce cases in the Gulf states are among young 
couples in their early stages of 
marriages, particularly those in the age group of 20-30 years. “They are taking more care of their cars than their wives. The newly-married couples do not know the privileges and rights of each other which lead to break-ups because they don’t know the real meaning of marriage and its obligation as they have just passed out from their colleges,” Al Rabeeah said.

Marital life is threatened by differences in ways of thinking and lack of adequate marital life skills, said Fatima Al Rashidi, General Manager of the campaign to be conducted by Al Tawasel Centre for Training and Family and Economic Consultancy in collaboration with government departments.

Field studies have shown increasing rates of divorce in the first years of marriage, which affect the productivity of people and reflect their sense of instability leading to psychological insecurity, Al Rashidi said.

“We prevented divorces of more than 122 cases in 2008 and 82 in 2007 through counseling the couples.  The number of general family dispute cases has gone down in past couple of years and a number of cases were solved amicably,” said Al Rashidi.

“The new trend in counseling is that married men are now turning up. Earlier it was only women who came in for consultations,” she said. Building a Family-Al Tawasel Centre for Training and Family and Economic Consultancy in collaboration with government departments will embark on.

A Abu Dhabi National Campaign for Social Cohesion 2009, from March 8 to March 18, 2009 with the motto “Build a Family… Build a nation” to raise awareness on family integrity in society and newly-married couples in particular.

Family guidance experts will lead the discussions at universities and colleges. The campaign will later be extended for a period of five years but this year the consultants will focus on newly-married couples and those planning on getting married.