Marriage loses its sparkle in Kuwait

(Reuters) - In a luxury hotel suite, away from prying eyes, twenty Kuwaiti female guests at a traditional wedding party segregated by the sexes watch the men via a video link.

The women snap pictures of the festivities on their cell phones and swap stories about how they met their husbands and their views on marriage. The contrasts between young and old in the conversation expose a shift in society that has the government worried.

"The most important thing now is getting a university degree," said Noora al-Jaber, 28, who married seven years ago.

"The woman should get a good certificate and the man a steady income. Only then can they think about marriage," she said, as the women sipped fruit juice from champagne flutes.

The role of the family is extremely important in Kuwait, where large clans forge blood ties that are essential not only socially but also in politics and business.

::rofl:: ::rofl:: ::rofl::