New year and new life for Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese, after a whole career in Europe, enters the lands of Saudi Arabia to wear the Al Nassr shirt. However, in addition to the football adaptation, ‘CR7’ must also adapt to the country’s cultural and even legal framework. The one in which, according to the rules, he could not live with his partner, Georgina Rodríguez, because they are not married.
Do they have to live apart?
Even if they are not married, the country that prohibits by law that a couple live under the same roof without having previously been married could turn a “blind eye” and allow Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina reside together.
This was stated to the EFE agency by two Saudi lawyers specialized in Civil Law, who preferred to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the issue, since Saudi Arabia’s strict conservative Islamic laws expressly prohibit a couple from living together without a marriage contract.
“Although the laws of the kingdom still prohibit cohabitation without a marriage contract, the authorities have recently started to turn a blind eye and no longer persecute anyone, although these laws are used when there is a problem or a crime”said one of the lawyers.
Another of the lawyers indicated that regarding the issue of cohabitation, the Saudi authorities “today no longer interfere in this matter – for expatriates -, even though the law prohibits cohabitation without marriage,” he stressed.
In this sense, and expressly referring to foreigners who live and work in Saudi Arabia, he added that “the Police no longer investigate or persecute anyone.” This was unthinkable just a few years ago, in a country still governed by a strict interpretation of Islamic law, or “sharia.” But since Mohamed bin Salmán was appointed crown prince in 2017, progress has been made in terms of the recognition of rights, especially for women, although, on the other hand, the abuses and arrests of human rights activists continue. In addition, the kingdom’s prime minister has also carried out numerous reforms, especially in the context of sports and entertainment, in order to modernize the country within the framework of Vision 2030. In any case, and under no circumstances, the freedoms that are allowed to foreigners residing in the Arab country, particularly Westerners, apply to Saudi nationals.
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Georgina’s Choices
Georgina, mother of two children together with Cristiano, would have several options to stay in Saudi Arabia, despite not being married. According to the Saudi lawyers consulted, “there are several options for Georgina to come to the kingdom, one of which is for Georgina to come personally with the sponsorship of Al Nassr (club of
Cristiano Ronaldo), with a visa issued separately, and can reside wherever he wants”.
And the second option is to “obtain a one-year tourist visa, which allows you to reside in the country for 90 consecutive days on each visit.” However, as one of the professionals points out, “employment laws in Saudi Arabia require that any woman who obtains an entry visa to the kingdom be the wife, worker or first-degree relative of a man residing” in Saudi Arabia.
“Diplomatic missions cannot grant a visa to a woman without a marriage contract, but for example, she turns a blind eye. Women enter on a tourist visa, as a man and a woman can obtain it separately without having to reveal the nature of their relationship.”
The most important of all these options is that this situation of Georgina is not new or unusual in the kingdom, since many foreign former professional players enjoyed exceptional treatment and brought their partners in one way or another and lived with them without problem, concluded one of the lawyers.
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*With information from the EFE agency
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