Three-fold jump in Filipino civil marriages in UAE

Dubai: Despite the many hurdles to tying the knot in the UAE, the number of Filipinos exchanging “I dos” in Dubai has jumped more than three times compared to six years ago, XPRESS has learnt.

This month, 112 couples are set to exchange marriage vows, up from a monthly average of 30 in 2006, based on online and existing records.

“What we do are literally, weekly mass weddings,” said Geronimo Suliguin, vice-consul in Dubai.

“Thirty couples is the ‘normal average’ number we solemnise per week. That is the maximum number we can take, though weekly applicants can go up to 40 couples.”

The consulate opened in January 2005. By mid-2006, it saw an average of only 10 couples tying the knot per week. Today, there’s an estimated 450,000 Filipinos in the Dubai and the northern emirates.

Philippine laws do not allow divorce among its Christian citizens, who constitute about 85 per cent of its 100 million population.