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JEDDAH — Around 165,000 engagements were broken off in the past year after health checkups revealed genetic incompatibilities, according to medical officials.

The Ministry of Health’s Director for Hereditary and Chronic Diseases Dr. Mohammad Al-Saidi said the healthy marriage program usually has an average of 270,000 to 300,000 participants on a yearly basis since 2004.

He said: “It is a program that runs health checkups on couples who are about to get married. The program aims to reduce the risk of having children with any blood or gastronomical diseases.

“We aim to be an international model for a healthy marriage program and we aim to decrease the rate of hereditary diseases.

“In fact, health checkups are mandatory for engaged couples before they get married.”

He added 60 percent of the participants end up breaking off their engagement because of genetic health incompatibilities as they would have a high potential of bearing children with hereditary diseases.

“The high percentage of failed engagements due to medical risks shows that the society has become more educated and aware of the importance of physical...