Cristiano Ronaldo, who has moved to Saudi Arabia for the next stage of his career, will be allowed to disregard some of the laws of his new country.
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Allowed to live together
This is further proof if any were needed, that money and fame allow people to live above the law. Recently acquired by Saudi club Al-Nassr, Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo will move to the petro-monarchy with his entire family. The problem is that he is not married to his partner, Georgina Rodriguez, and Saudi law expressly forbids relationships outside of marriage.
This does not seem to bother the ultra-conservative Gulf country, which immediately gave the couple permission to live under the same roof, without complying with the law, even though Saudis, and especially Saudi women, can be whipped or even stoned for less.
Georgina's options
An exception was made, according to Saudi lawyers specialising in civil law, quoted by the Spanish news agency EFE. According to them, the authorities are more lenient towards expatriates:
Although the kingdom's laws still prohibit cohabitation without a marriage contract, the authorities have recently begun to turn a blind eye and no longer persecute anyone, although these laws are used when there is a problem or a crime.
Another lawyer corroborates this by saying:
The Saudi authorities no longer interfere in this matter for expatriates.
According to them, Georgina now has two options for living in Saudi Arabia. The first would beto obtain a sponsorship directly from the Al-Nassr club, allowing her to 'reside wherever she wants' in the country. The second option would be to apply for a one-year tourist visa. We will probably know very soon which decision the model and influencer will make.
This article was translated from Oh!MyMag FR.
Sources used:
Melty: 'Arabie saoudite : malgré l’interdiction, Cristiano Ronaldo autorisé à vivre avec Georgina sans être marié'
TyC Sports: 'La excepción para Cristiano Ronaldo en Arabia Saudita: podrá vivir con Georgina aunque no estan casados'