An unusual and eye-catching poster is covering a major street wall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. So what’s it all about?

It’s an anti-smoking campaign, but this is no ordinary health-kick. Naqa (or Purity) is a non-governmental organization in Saudi Arabia specialized in providing the best tailored programs, in accordance to Islamic values and beliefs, with the purpose of helping you quit smoking. You are probably wondering what this foundation has to do with marriage. I promise you the answer will come soon, but first, allow me to provide you with some quick facts about smoking and marriage in Saudi Arabia.

Smoking in Saudi Arabia

Smoking cigarettes and hubbly-bubblies (narjeeleh) has spread like wildfire among the younger generations in Saudi Arabia. The narjeeleh has become a popular and preferred socializing tool. It is quite common to find a group of friends and family, young and old, sitting in a cafe and chatting while a narjeeleh or two is passed from one person to another.

Marriages R Us…

The Saudi youth are finding it difficult to enter the golden cage of marriage (al kafas al zahabi) because they are unable to pay the dowry. The bill soon adds up, given that the dowry alone is typically around 7 thousand Euros, in addition to the wedding expenses that cost around 21 thousand Euros and renting and furnishing an apartment which amounts to another 10 thousand Euros. Add to that around 3,500 Euros for the honeymoon. Young people, after finishing their university studies and upon entering marriage life, are often quite shocked by the sum of these marriage expenses. (Bear in mind that the average monthly salary in Saudi Arabia does not exceed 1,400 Euros.)

Now to Answer the Question…

With the aim of fighting smoking, the Naqa Foundation has announced a campaign under the title: “Quit Smoking and Your Marriage Is on Us.” This campaign follows a previous one with the slogan “Quit Smoking and We Will Take You to the Hajj.” Together with other campaigns, these tempting offers have led to 14 thousand Saudis quitting smoking every year. After answering the competition’s questions correctly, participants (who should be smokers and never  have been married), have to register in rehabilitation centers for quitting smoking. The competition lasts for 7 days during which participants have to quit smoking. On the seventh day, the foundation chooses the winner, from those who have successfully quit smoking, through a poll. The prize takes the form of a dowry payment and the furnishings for the newlyweds’ home.

Mixed Reactions

However, this campaign did not escape a negative reaction from the feminist and women’s organizations who have accused the program of giving away the woman as a financial award in return for quitting a bad habit. One male journalist responded that those who say that the campaign devalues a woman are wrong, because a woman is free and is not obliged to accept a marriage if she does not wish to. Another male employee in the Ministry of Education also voiced his disagreement of the allegation, on the grounds that this campaign does not touch a woman’s integrity but on the contrary, could lower spinsterhood levels among Saudi women. In his opinion, a woman’s value in the Saudi community is high and sacred.

What do you think?