A Transition of Love: Emirati Youths Perception of Love Marriages

Marriage is one of life's most defining and important relationships, so it's natural to wonder what makes it 'work' and if there's a 'one size fits all' formula. Sociological studies on the UAE are scarce, and those from Emiratis discussing the topic of marriage are even fewer. This paper addresses the research question, "How does the Emirati Youth perceive marriages built from pre-marital romantic and sexual relationships?" The chosen research method was a semi-structured interview with eleven participants, ten of whom were unmarried and one of whom is married to the woman he was in a relationship with, prior to the marriage. It was found that factors such as social media, urban environment, and educational systems play a fundamental role in the formation of opinions and norms regarding marriage. Those who come from more urban environments or attended co-educational schools, for example, were more likely to approve of and seek out love marriages. Gender differences also were found, where female participants expressed desire for love marriages more often than male participants did.