Saudi might soon set minimum marriage age
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia is edging closer to setting a minimum age for marriage, a Justice Ministry official was quoted as saying on Wednesday, following international criticism of cases of child brides.
"The ministry has adopted a clear stance on under-age marriages and the issue was raised to the regulators," Mohammed al-Babetein, head of the Justice Ministry's marriages department, was quoted as saying in the daily al-Madina newspaper.
"It supports setting unified regulations to deal with such practices, which will ensure the safety of young girls," he said.
Babetein said the ministry was still in discussions over what age the limit should be set at, al-Madina reported.
Last May the consultative Shoura Council, which advises the government on new laws, was reported in the local press as recommending the introduction of a minimum marriage age but there have been no concrete reports of further progress.
