One out of four Qatari women remain single because men cannot afford the lavish weddings that the community has come to expect, a local Arabic-language newspaper reports.

The problem is not a new one; Qatar has even established a marriage fund to help young local men pay the up to QR1 million it takes to get married here.

But some nationals are now taking a different approach, eschewing weddings in Qatar altogether in favor of less expensive affairs across the Gulf. 

The Peninsula reports:

There are an estimated 18 wedding halls in Qatar and their rents vary from QR70, 000 to QR150,000 on average.

Contrast this to some neighbouring countries where marriage hall rentals begin from a meagre QR7,000 and can go only up to QR70,000 (in equivalent of their currencies)…

The Central Municipal Council (CMC) has plans to discuss again a previous proposal that calls on the state to set up low-rent wedding halls. Their rentals would vary between QR5,000 and QR10,000, it has been proposed.

What do you think? Is lowering the cost of rental halls the way to tackle this problem?