Why is the expat divorce rate spiralling in Dubai?

Is moving to the Middle East bad for your marriage? Apparently, yes, if new figures from the Dubai Statistics Center are anything to go by – divorce rates among expats in the emirate have swelled by nearly 30% since 2009.

Back in 2008, of course, a move to the Middle East was seen as a brave new world for many financial services professionals lured by the promise of a growing market and shelter from the burgeoning crisis. Since then, the rhetoric has cooled down and working in Dubai is viewed with a new sense of realism.

Nonetheless, simply making an upsticks move to Dubai, relocating your family and adjusting to a new lifestyle is undoubtedly going to place some strain on a relationship.

In 2011, 445 foreign couples in Dubai filed for divorce, which is an increase of nearly 30% since 2009.

Most financial services employers looking to hire an expat in the Middle East views marital status as a differentiating factor – if someone is married, and has children and is still willing to make the move, it’s viewed as a sign of commitment.

But, of course, even with family ties, any new entrant to the region leaves behind a support network of friends and family. Dubai undoubtedly has an active social life – and the Friday brunches are a great way to meet new people – but the expat community is comparatively transient.

Then there’s the financial crisis; many people moving to the region will have lost their job since 2009, which again isn’t good for the health of a relationship. The job cuts arguably more severe last year, as the Eurozone crisis took hold, which could have contributed to the divorce rate increase.

By contrast, the divorce rate between Emiratis has risen by 6.6% since 2009.

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