Couples get married more often in Dubai

The number of marriage proposals and weddings in Dubai will increase in 2024, bucking the global trend of declining marriage rates, according to industry experts. Meanwhile, more than 6,500 weddings were registered in the UAE in the first half of 2023, up from 6,000 in 2022.

Caroline Ralston, founder and CEO of Proposal Boutique in Dubai, has organised 310 marriage proposals in 2023, a 10% increase on last year. She believes the number of engagements in the region will grow by around 25 per cent in 2024.

This month is already the busiest in the company’s history. And with visitor numbers expected to peak in 2024, tourist engagement could increase significantly compared to previous years.

“2024 is also a leap year and we think this will have a big impact on the number of proposals that women will make (a half-forgotten tradition: if a woman proposes to a man on 29 February in a leap year, he has no right to refuse). In the past, women have also proposed in the past, but we predict there will be even more proposals this year,” she said.

“Dubai is working hard to attract wedding and engagement tourism, and to create a unique environment that is different from what young people have already seen elsewhere,” Carlston added.

Fergus James, founder of Dubai-based jewellery company Fergus James, believes the number of marriages is affected by Dubai’s increasing population.

“People tend to move to Dubai between the ages of 20 and 30, and that’s when people tend to pair up and get married.”

Last year, Fergus James sold around 2,000 engagement rings in Dubai to both residents and visitors. Buyers typically spend between $4,000 and $20,000 on a ring.

Source: Arabian Business

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