ferret out those situations where both partners are carriers of certain hereditary disorders (thus making it likely that any children they have would also be carriers/develop the disease).

Since so many local marriages are between first cousins, it is a prudent initiative, one that should have been implemented years ago. But at least they're moving on it.

And BTW, there is not a reliable test for virginity. A doctor can check if a woman's hymen is intact, but for many women the hymen becomes broken through normal, physical activities (playing sports in school, falling of a bike, horse-riding, etc.) -- so it wouldn't necessarily be present even if she IS a virgin.
The vast majority of women that I know report that they never bled the first time they had intercourse.

I wish this part of the world would begin to value women as much as they value that little flap of skin.

"Marriage is a wonderful institution...but who wants to live in an institution?" -- Groucho Marx