Telekom has wooed several foreign brides, but getting them to the altar has proved altogether trickier.

ECONOMIST: The world beyond Deutsche Telekom

Local men in such countries, Mr Jones argues from Singapore, look for foreign brides for two reasons.

ECONOMIST: International marriage

But again, they largely protect the foreign brides.

NPR: Slate's Jurisprudence: The Laws of Internet Dating

The UAE's Marriage Fund was set up six years ago to try to reverse the practise of Emirati men marrying foreign brides because they could not afford the exorbitant dowries expected of them.

BBC: By Gulf Correspondent, Frank Gardner