&#34He is not understanding and his mentality is backward!&#34

&#34He always talks about his mother and her wishes! She has been spoilt since childhood!&#34

&#34She cannot handle the responsibilities of marriage. She is too superficial!&#34

Such are examples of the accusations exchanged between newly-weds. As soon as the honeymoon period ends, the criticisms begin.

With the approach of summer comes the outburst of weddings. However, married life especially at the beginning can cause much distress and unhappiness. It is not easy to determine what causes arguments to break out between husband and wife. Such issues may relate to economic or psychological factors, to sexual or physical needs or even may represent the emotional shock of the reality of marriage.

Amgad Al-Bashir, an employee in the technology and communications department of the Samba Financial Group, explains that both men and women should realize that marriage involves taking on numerous responsibilities.

He further believes that the emotions experienced before marriage should be thoroughly tried and tested. As for problems during marriage, though they are natural, they should not be blown out of proportion and should be dealt with rationally.

He continues to explain that the fact that there has hardly been any communication between man and wife during the engagement period can easily lead to miscommunication on the husband”s part. The solution, he argues, lies in a man”s ability to listen patiently and talk to his partner, especially if she has a background in which she had become accustomed to a certain level of luxury.

Umm Faysal, a dedicated housewife, refers to the numerous cases of divorce in contemporary Saudi society. She believes that the high number of divorces is due to a lack of faith and a lack of mutual awareness to the needs of marital life. She adds that the youth of today differ immensely to that of her generation. She says, &#34Men and women should be more responsible. Many of the youth feel that they need the consent of their peers and relatives which may in fact be negative and cause problems between the couple.&#34 Upbringing, she adds, also plays crucial part in establishing a strong culture that respects the old and the young. She believes that many young men are raised witnessing their fathers treating their mothers disrespectfully; in turn, this affects their character development.

An important matter remains however, and that is the taboo of divorce. Both sides sacrifice their pre-marital dreams in order to avoid the stigma of divorce. Many will sit and wonder how much pain one can endure merely to escape divorce.

Finally, centers that deal with such human relations are scarce. More are necessary to understand these social problems and their impact upon society. Their absence may increase these problems. It is for this reason that many observers stress the importance of confronting traditions and customs that may hinder the process of character building. Highlighting such details and finding their solution would raise social awareness, and help formulate a public opinion that rejects all negative aspects of human relations.