Summary Bristol-Rhys posits that the issue of marriage has transformed into a costly affair in the United Arab Emirates. As it stands out, there are a number of Emirati males who would rather seek for spouses outside the confines of Emirati society largely due to the high cost of marriage. From the article, it is evident that the Emirati weddings have significantly changed since the last three decades. The author presents a systematic and analytical discussion of the culture behind Emirati marriages. In addition, the comprehensive changes that have taken place in the Emirati society have been part and parcel of public discussion. The fact that most Emirati men are no longer interested in marrying women from the Emirati society explains why there has been intense debate in this area. The author also observes that there is an increasing rate of divorce in the Emirati society. Worse still, legible Emirati women who have not been married are on the increase. Reactions on issues addressed in the paper To begin with, it is interesting to mention that the socio-political environment of UAE is highly conservative. This expounds why it has been almost impossible to break the social bond that defines culture among the Emirati population. Needless to say, marriage is one of the most profound traditions in the Emirati society. Moreover, the tradition of marriage in this society demands that all legal conjugal affairs should be restricted within the Emirati society. In other words, marriages are not supposed to be conducted between Emiratis and non-Emiratis. While the latter may be the reality, it is interesting to mention that Emirati men have defied the odds and opted to seek for preferred spouses elsewhere. Perhaps, the conservative culture that surrounds marriage is gradually being eroded away. In any case, the author is emphatic that drastic changes in the entire perception about marriage is taking a different twist altogether. The role played by the mass media is yet another factor to put into consideration. It is highly likely that the issue of marriage and the changing trends in the United Arab Emirates have been overrated by the media. For instance, there could be other factors that compel Emirati men to marry outside the UAE society. It can be recalled that the world has become a global village and as such, the UAE men are currently in a position to ‘see beyond the horizon’. Most of the UAE men who are legible for marriage are mainly comprised of young people. A number of them interact with the outside world quite often contrary to some decades ago. Globalisation has also immensely contributed towards weak local cultural practices. As much as the UAE culture on marriage has been extremely conservative for several decades, the impact of globalisation is gradually debunking a number of myths. Therefore, the changing trends on marriage cannot be entirely blamed on the alleged high cost. The media has apparently circumvented the issue multiple times to an extent that the reality on the ground can no longer be visualised. Besides, most media reports are composed of personal opinions, skewed judgments and reports compiled from informal sources. It may be erroneous to make logical con