Gone are the days when finding a suitable match for a boy or a girl in a family was left to the expertise of a grand aunt, a next-door neighbour, a community elder or family priest.
The birth of the nuclear family unit along with the pursuit of an expatriate lifestyle has pitched families, across cultures and nationalities, into a grey zone for some decades now where the old support systems are no longer as efficient or sometimes even operative.
In the UAE the pace of matrimonial online services has picked up greatly over the years.
Though there are no definitive numbers available on how many expatriate families use these services, there is enough evidence online to suggest that there is a good success rate being enjoyed by these websites.
Trust is on the decline
Wajahat Nazim Ahmad, who has been running www.dubaimarriagebureau.com for 10 years, has been able to facilitate the meeting of thousands of couples, he told Gulf News. Running a statistics centre in Pakistan, Wajahat Academy, Ahmad claims to seal over 30 proposals a month.
He is passionate about wanting to help singles find their life partner, he says.
“I have multinational, multicultural clients, people from different religions registered on my website. My job is to be a facilitator. In the end, it is their own determination to find a life partner that decides the fate of the alliance,” says Ahmad.
The success and popularity of matrimonial websites, he says, is due to the dwindling trust factor in today’s young adults seeking life partners.
“People tend to conceal facts about themselves even in cases where matches are recommended by close relatives. While women lie about their age and interests, men tend to gloss over their past experiences. My job is to screen candidates according to their likes and dislikes, family background and beliefs and suggest two or three matches per month. The candidates can look at these and decide to meet in their own time.”
Communication is key
Ahmad thinks the key to a successful alliance is the right kind of communication. “The success of my matchmaking skills depends a lot on the communication between the potential bride and groom and the involvement of their respective families. I tell my female clients that if a male is dithering over his decision after the first meeting and insists on meeting again, be wary of him.
“If by the second meeting, no female relative is involved in the process, then something is not right. Perhaps the candidate does not intend taking the relationship to the next level,” said Ahmad.
Fees
Ahmad says most of his clients choose the second option.
1. $100 (Dh367) fees for never married bride, 27 years or below, and never married groom 29 years or below and whose income is less than $1,000 or equivalent in local currency.
2. $300 (Dh1,100) fees for: a) Never married or divorced bride 28 years or above; b) Groom either never married or divorced earning above $1,500 or equivalent.
3. $1,000 (Dh3,670) fees for bride or groom belonging to the ‘ Elite’ class (which refers to the wealthy and the well-known in that particular community).
SOURCE : GULFNEWS