Polygamy is responsible for up to 55 per cent of divorces in the conservative Muslim kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where the practice is legal and common, according to a university study. The study, carried out by Mohammad al-Saif of the sociology department of Riyadh's King Saud University, found that Islamic courts approve between 25 and 35 divorces a day, or up to 12,775 a year, Al-Yom newspaper reported.
Most divorces occur in the first three years of marriage and a majority of divorced women had married under the age of 20, the study said. Riyadh topped the list of divorces in the oil-rich state, followed by the Red Sea city of Jeddah.
Interference by other family members and age difference were also major grounds for divorce, the study found.
Islam allows Muslim men to have up to four wives, so long as they have the means to support them and all the women are treated equally.
According to a poll published in Qatar last year, almost three out of four women in the Gulf Arab state are opposed to polygamy, while around the same level are in favour among Qatari men. Bureau Report