For many young Yemeni women, the possibilities of leaving the country are tightly constrained. Unlike men, who in large numbers have left over the past 11 years in search of work and stability abroad, often heading to Gulf countries, women’s mobility is restricted by strict social norms and the requirement of a male guardian, or mahram, to travel.
For some, marriage to a wealthy foreign man has emerged as an alternative route out of the country and towards a more secure future. Yet, as many discover, the reality does not always match the dream.
Mona*, 29, was previously married to a Yemeni man, a shopkeeper in Taiz governorate. They were together for five years, a period she describes as a "journey of suffering".
"During those five whole years, I spent every single day worrying about how to get food, water, and basic services," she told Middle East Eye. "It was five years of pure hardship with my ex-husband."
After the birth of their child, their struggles deepened, to the point where even buying milk became nearly impossible.
"Enduring the lack of basic services was hard enough, so I couldn’t stay with a husband who couldn't even provide milk for his own child," Mona said.
After divorcing her husband three years ago, Mona vowed never to marry a poor man again. She decided to work and support herself until she found a wealthy husband, preferring to remain single rather than relive her past.
'I was thrilled to hear she had found a wealthy suitor for me, but I was shocked to learn he wasn't Yemeni, he was Emirati,'
"It is better to work and provide for myself than to live with a poor husband," she said. "Marrying a wealthy man became my ultimate goal."
Mona spent a year working as a casual labourer with a Yemeni humanitarian foundation assisting vulnerable families, but she did not meet the wealthy partner she hoped for.
"I was thrilled to hear she had found a wealthy suitor for me, but I was shocked to learn he wasn't Yemeni, he was Emirati," Mona recalled.
"I hesitated for a few days, especially when I found out he already had a family in the UAE and that this would be a secret marriage based in Egypt. But ultimately, I accepted."
Mona later discovered that this friend was in fact working as a specialist marriage broker, a realisation that came only after she learned that several other young women had been married off through the same woman.
Coming from a traditional background, Mona's family believed young women should only marry within their own or neighbouring tribes, not even outside their own governorate. Naturally, marrying a foreigner was a difficult concept for them to accept.
"My brothers weren’t happy about it, but I convinced them," Mona said. "I dreamed of a better life for myself and my family."
She added firmly: "We deserve a better life. It is a dream shared by everyone, men and women alike. When we get a chance to achieve that dream, we shouldn't let it slip away. That was my belief.
"I couldn't find a wealthy husband in Yemen, so this was a way to achieve two dreams at once: a wealthy husband and a life outside the country."
After communicating with her future husband online, they agreed on all the terms of the marriage. She received a dowry of $10,000, three times what a Yemeni man would typically pay in her community, which she took as a reassuring sign that she had made the right choice.
Mona travelled to Egypt with her father, where the marriage was formally finalised. Today, she lives in Egypt while her husband travels frequently between different countries.
"I only return to Yemen occasionally to visit my family," Mona said. "I truly feel that I have achieved my dream with this marriage."
