Utilizing Matrimonial Web sites Among Saudi Users: An Empirical Study

Given that little research has been done on unconventional means of finding and courting a potential spouse via matrimonial Web sites, this emerging form of court- ship, differs substantially from Western-style online dating. This research examines the impressions Saudi users intended to form when constructing their profiles on matrimonial Web sites, the characteristics these users seek in their potential spouses, and the acceptable Saudi script for courtships initiated on matrimonial Web sites. It unites the hyperpersonal theory, sexual strategies theory, and script theory into a theoretical framework. Using a quantitative questionnaire (N = 302), the results of the research contribute to the debate in the literature on Computer-Mediated Communication regarding whether online settings provide rich information about other users, as they show that online interactions can provide more information about the opposite sex for users who belong to gender-segregated societies than they can get through their offline lives. The results also reveal that there are similarities and differences between mate preferences proposed by Sexual Strategies Theory and Saudis’ mate preferences. Such findings contribute to the theories on mate preferences in general and the sexual strategies theory in particular by advancing the understanding of mate preferences in an Islamic context.