Ronaldo is engaged, but how is he living with Georgina in Saudi Arabia? , world News

Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent engagement with Georgina Rodriguez has renewed the strict cohabitation laws of Saudi Arabia. Despite a long legal prohibition against unmarried couples living together, the football star and his partner have openly shared a house in Riyadh. As Ronaldo now indicates a lifetime commitment to the state, its case highlights how Saudi law is developing for foreigners, and where the lines are still firmly ready.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez are now officially engaged, marking a new chapter in a relationship that started in Madrid almost a decade ago. Rodriguez confirmed the news with a picture of a large ring and a caption in Spanish: “Yes I do. In this and all my life.”The couple first met in a Gucci store in Madrid in 2016, where Rodriguez was working as a sales assistant and Ronaldo was playing for Real Madrid. His connection, as Rodriguez described in previous interviews, was “love at first sight”. The relationship has quickly deepened, and the pair has since created a life that spreads continents, clubs and now countries.Although he has not publicly announced the wedding date, Ronaldo has referred to Rodriguez as his wife on several occasions. At the 2024 Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, he said during his acceptance speech:“This is a great pleasure to win this trophy. My oldest son is here, my wife is here.”Today, they are raising five children together, daughters Bela and Alana, as well as Ronaldo’s older children Cristiano Junior, Eva and Meto. His life is currently located in Riyadh, where Ronaldo plays for Saudi Pro League Club Al-Nasar. In July 2025, he made his most definite statement about his future so far, in a video released by Al-Nasar:“My family always supports my decisions, and we are happy here in Saudi Arabia … that’s why we want to live here and make our life here.”At the age of 40, Ronaldo revealed that when his current contract spreads as a footballer for two more years, his connection to the Kingdom goes far ahead of the game.“I will be twoMore year as a football player, but also for life because my contribution in this country is not only for football … I want to be a part of the development of the country forever. , He described Saudi Arabia as a land “Peace and security”Saying that he and his family have been deeply welcomed by the local people and culture. “We do not need to prove anything to anyone,” he said. “I love culture. I just say: Come and look for yourself.”

Stay together before marriage, a legal gray zone

Until some time ago, it was legally impossible for Ronaldo and Rodrigue to cohabiting in Saudi Arabia. The legal system of the country inherent in the Islamic Sharia law, formally prevents couples from living together outside the wedding. These rules are usually retained through legal, social and cultural norms. Nevertheless, since the arrival of Ronaldo in late 2022, after his high-profile departure from Manchester United, he and Rodrigue have lived openly as a family without facing any punishment in Riyadh. This system raised immediate questions, especially among the people familiar with the legal environment of the state. According to Spanish news agency EFE, local authorities created an informal exception to Ronaldo’s case. Two Saudi lawyers told EFE that while the law is technically, it no longer applies to foreign nationals:“Although the law still drinksWith a marriage contract, the authorities have started closing their eyes and harassing anyone. Of course, these laws are used when a problem or crime occurs, ” A lawyer said.Another legal expert said:“Saudi Arabia officials, today, do not interfere in this matter [in the case of foreigners]But the law continues to stop cohabitation out of marriage. , These comments make it clear that Ronaldo’s high status and visibility probably have given them a degree not to be the most available. Beyond his $ 700 million Al-Nasur contract and equity stake, the fact that he and Rodriguez are increasing five children together and already committed, only to formalize their engagement in waiting for “perfect click”, showing how their close-known family life would have made the state untouchables.

What the law says, and to whom does it apply

Saudi Arabia’s cohabitation law, lies in Islamic teachings, consider marriage the only accepted structure for romantic relationships and share domestic lives. Cums out of marriage, although not always clearly not codified, is considered as a criminal offense under the comprehensive legal structure. For most residents and foreign workers, living together as an unmarried couple can cause severe punishment, including:

Saudi society also holds high value on moral conduct, family respect and public humility, culturally strengthening these legal expectations.

While domestic laws remain strict, Saudi Arabia has recently introduced specific legal comfort to foreign visitors, especially around the hotel. In bid to develop their tourism sector, the state now allows unmarried foreign couples to share hotel rooms without providing evidence of marriage. This change applies only to foreign nationals. Saudi citizens still need to present the legal documents of marriage if they want to stay together in a hotel. The new regulation represents a calculated step towards adjusting international norms, preserving domestic standards. Importantly, this hotel exemption does not reach private residences or long -term coitus. Foreign inhabitants living and working in Saudi Arabia are still expected to follow the country’s broad legal structure, unless in the case of Ronaldo, informally generous.