Will it be permitted for Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez to live under the same roof in Saudi Arabia?
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez have sparked controversy with reports that they will be living together in Saudi Arabia.
The issue at hand is whether or not it is permitted for the couple to cohabitate in the conservative Middle Eastern country.
In Saudi Arabia, it is a criminal offense for unrelated men and women to live together, and violators can face punishments such as imprisonment and flogging.
However, it is not uncommon for foreign celebrities to be granted special privileges or exemptions from local laws.
The question remains: will Ronaldo and Rodriguez be allowed to live together in Saudi Arabia, or will they face legal consequences if they are caught cohabiting?
Here’s what we know so far!
Cristiano Ronaldo, a new Al Nassr player, is getting ready to settle in Riyadh, but it’s currently unknown if his Argentine girlfriend will follow him there.
Although it is against the rules for unmarried couples to cohabitate in Saudi Arabia, two legal professionals from the country have assured the Spanish news agency EFE that Ronaldo and Georgina Rodrรญguez will be permitted to live together nevertheless.
Why Will They Be Allowed To Live Together?
In spite of the kingdom’s continued ban on cohabitation outside of marriage, one of the attorneys, a civil law expert, said that recently, “the authorities have started to turn a blind eye to that.”
- “Even though the regulations forbid unmarried couples from cohabitating, the Saudi authorities nowadays โ among foreign nationals โ don’t interfere in this matter.”
This would have been inconceivable in a nation whose Islamic law is most often tightly enforced just a few short years ago.
However, there have been a few minor improvements in the acceptance of civil rights, particularly women’s rights, since Mohammed bin Salman was appointed crown prince of Saudi Arabia in 2017.
The sports and leisure sectors have also seen reforms under Bin Salman, however it is important to note that Saudi citizens do not have the same freedoms as non-Saudi citizens. The two attorneys who talked with EFE insisted on anonymity.