I never did understand why traditional marriage is so common in many cultures. In a sense it was very common in Old Testament times and it is still accepted today.
From Arab News:
Yemeni Woman Butchers Husband in Cold Blood
Taher Hazim, Special to Arab News SANAA, 23 February 2003 - Fann Saeed Ghanem, a 26-year-old Yemeni, has made history by killing her husband in cold blood. Fann was forced into three nightmarish marriages, and moved from place to place to escape from ill-treatment at the hands of all three husbands. After divorcing from the... (full story).
https://arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=23020
Wow... can you believe that? Is this because of th same culture and traditions?
Wanted: Married Men for Single Saudi Women
Omayma Al-Salakh, Arab News Staff RIYADH, 23 February 2003 - Despite the variety of marriages that exist in the Kingdom - from weekend to secret marriages - hundreds of thousands of young women remain single. And many of them are now prepared to marry men who are already married and have children. Al-Hafof, 27, who... (full story).
https://arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=23013
It is interesting that to marry a foreigner you need permission. From Arab News:
Maids Turn Wives in Growing Phenomenon
Hala Al-Nasser, Special to Arab News No one knows how many Saudis have married their maids. But while there are no statistics, the phenomenon is clearly widespread, says a survey conducted by Sayidaty, a sister publication of Arab News. Saudis wishing to marry foreigners must obtain the Interior Ministry's permission lest they should lose certain rights...
https://arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=23966
What can I say, everything should be better if they can choose the persons they want to marry without having the pressure or obligation to marry someone the family assigned them too.
Culture yes, has a lot to do with this. I don't know much about Eastern culture but it seems to me that women are pretty much told what to do (of course this depend on the country).