Abstract
While traditional Saudi Arabian courtship is rigidly structured according to Islamic codes of conduct, Saudis over the past decade have increasingly turned to unconventional means, e.g., matrimonial websites, to find and court a potential spouse. Using qualitative semistructured interviews (N = 36), the analysis of the data revealed four main categories that demonstrate the reasons behind Saudis joining matrimonial websites: more opportunities, freedom from the limitations of offline interactions in Saudi culture, personal reasons, and encouragement.
Highlights
Saudi Arabian culture is considered the most conservative in the Islamic world; cultural norms and religious values are so intertwined that it becomes difficult to distinguish between them (Al-Lily, 2011; Al Azmi et al, 2012; AlDuhaish et al, 2014; Mirah, and Masa'deh, 2014; Darawsheh et al, 2016; Alnajrani et al, 2018)
While traditional Saudi Arabian courtship is rigidly structured according to Islamic codes of conduct, Saudis over the past decade have increasingly turned to unconventional means, e.g., matrimonial websites, to find and court a potential spouse
The goal of this study is to gain a detailed understanding of the courtship script of Saudi users using matrimonial websites to answer the main research question: What is the script Saudi users follow when trying to find a potential spouse through matrimonial websites?
Summary
Saudi Arabian culture is considered the most conservative in the Islamic world; cultural norms and religious values are so intertwined that it becomes difficult to distinguish between them (Al-Lily, 2011; Al Azmi et al, 2012; AlDuhaish et al, 2014; Mirah, and Masa'deh, 2014; Darawsheh et al, 2016; Alnajrani et al, 2018) Following their religious beliefs regarding the importance of protecting people from seduction, Saudis maintain gender segregation in all aspects of their daily lives, and it is considered one of the pillars of Saudi society. With the advances in online connectivity, virtual platforms offer innovative spaces that facilitate the establishment and development of interpersonal relationships, thereby increasing and enhancing social interaction worldwide (Bargh and McKenna, 2004) They have opened the possibility of cross-gender communication between unrelated people in gender-segregated societies such as Saudi Arabia (Madini, 2012). Matrimonial websites have become increasingly attractive to Saudis because they help them find potential spouses in an unconventional way (Al-Saggaf, 2013)
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