Oman: One divorce for every six marriages to foreigners

Muscat: Oman recorded 1,226 divorces involving citizens married to foreign nationals between October 29, 2023, and June 30, 2026, while 7,719 Omanis married foreigners over roughly the past three years, according to data from the Supreme Judiciary Council.

The figures amount to roughly one divorce recorded for every six marriages involving an Omani and a foreign national. Among the 7,719 marriages, 640 involved Omani women marrying non-Omani men, according to the judiciary data.

The comparison does not represent a divorce rate for the same group of marriages, since divorces recorded during the period may involve marriages that began earlier. But specialists said the figures warranted closer examination of the pressures facing some cross-national couples.

Said bin Rashid Al Maktoumi, head of family consultations at the Ministry of Social Development’s Department of Family Guidance and Counselling, said divorce indicators were assessed alongside the circumstances and underlying causes of individual cases rather than as numbers alone.

Cases handled by family counselling departments point to a range of recurring factors, he said, including poor communication between spouses, differing expectations over family roles and responsibilities, difficulties adapting to cultural and social differences, financial pressures and interference by others in married life.

Geographical distance from extended family can create additional challenges for some couples, he added, stressing that no single explanation could be applied to all divorces involving Omanis and foreign spouses.

The ministry runs counselling programmes for people preparing for marriage and newlyweds, covering partner selection, realistic expectations of married life, communication, conflict management, financial planning and parenting.

Particular attention is given to understanding cultural and social differences when spouses come from different national backgrounds.

Aisha bint Amer Al Nadhiri, a psychologist and marital relations consultant, said differences over parenting, relationships with extended families and expectations of each spouse’s role could become sources of tension, particularly during the early years of marriage.

Other challenges can include language, customs, religious differences, deciding which country to live in and the cost of maintaining ties with families in two countries, she said.

Legal complications can become especially significant when such marriages end, particularly when children are involved.

Lawyer Reem bint Noor Al Zadjali said disputes involving spouses of different nationalities may raise questions over custody, maintenance, visitation, residence, travel and nationality, with cases becoming more complicated when parents or children live in different countries.

She said Omani law generally governs custody, maintenance and visitation disputes when the spouses live in Oman and Omani courts have jurisdiction, with the best interests of the child remaining the central consideration.

The Ministry of Social Development said its counselling work also seeks to reduce the effects of marital disputes and divorce on children, including through psychological and social support and efforts to help separated parents maintain a constructive relationship with their children.