Contemporary Issues in Marriage Law and Practice in Qatar

This paper discusses changing marriage practices in modern day Qatar, drawing on empirical data gathered in a socio-legal study involving interviews with individual citizens and residents about their marriage and family experiences, and with legal personnel and experts in family law. It presents a unique insight into the evolving practices and relationship behaviours occurring within and on the periphery of Qatar’s family-law framework in the context of its population make-up, historic traditions, trends in education, and the impact of globalisation. Changing marriage practices examined include ‘late’ first marriages and the practice of marrying out. The empirical research findings are used to analyse the link between the administrative process of obtaining permission to marry out and non-state-registered marriages; the gender imbalance in the treatment of those marrying out; the state’s role in ‘sinful’ relationships; and the link between child custody rights and unofficial marriages. The emerging narrative depicts couples navigating marriage laws and utilising non-state-registered ‘religious-only’ marriages as a temporary measure to overcome legal and administrative hindrances.