Marriage in Egypt: a Mass Wedding in Idku

Abeer Adel, 19, and her fiancé, Amgad Muhammad, 21, looked at engagement rings and other jewelry at a shop in Cairo. The two, who are cousins, said they planned to be engaged for four years.
In Egypt and across the Middle East, many young people are being forced to put off marriage, the gateway to independence, sexual activity and societal respect. Marriage plays an important financial role for families and the community. Often the only savings families acquire over a lifetime is the money for their children to marry, and handing it over amounts to an intergenerational transfer of wealth.
The mass weddings, like the one in Idku, are hugely festive, with couples, many in their late 30s and 40s, allowed to invite dozens of family members and friends.
At the Idku ceremony, the couples were ferried to an open-air stadium in 75 cars donated by local people. They were greeted by a standing-room-only, roaring crowd, flashing neon lights, traditional music, the local governor and a television celebrity who served as the master of ceremonies for the event.
Because officials are concerned about the destabilizing effect of young people being unable to afford marriage, the Egyptian government helps finance mass weddings. A government-aligned charity paid for dozens of couples to wed last fall in Idku, Egypt. Brides lined up to pick their wedding dresses.