on frugal home marriages are hard to come by, but two wedding planners with a large Saudi clientele told AFP that average spending on marriages had dropped by 25 percent over the past year, with many trimming back the pomp and pageantry.

A retailer of wedding invitation cards in Riyadh said business fell by 70 percent over the period, as many customers demand rich designs at cheaper prices.

Family Feud

"Weddings should not start with a bank loan," said Murtada al-Abawi, a 29-year-old Uber driver.

It typically costs 80,000 riyals ($21,300, 18,600 euros) to rent a wedding hall and pay for the dowry and bridal accoutrements -- including gold and makeup -- a price Abawi was unwilling to pay.

He created a family storm when he suggested a small soiree in the localcommunity centre for his own wedding in 2016.

A physical altercation broke out with his elder brother, who branded the idea shameful because "people will call us poor".

His parents and those of the would-be bride were equally furious but, ultimately, they all caved when Abawi cannily resorted to emotional blackmail.

He threatened to remain unmarried and flee to neighbouring Bahrain, a relatively liberal archipelago that many conservative Saudis view as a seedy offshore Las Vegas.

Abawi put his foot down: no dowry, no gold, no post-wedding party.

For the main wedding party, he used another ploy -- he invited all his friends and relatives so as not to offend anyone, but hosted the late-evening celebration on a busy weeknight, forcing families with school-age children to voluntarily opt out.

The wedding, ultimately, cost only