Living in 'sin'? Ronaldo, Rodriguez engagement raises questions on Saudi cohabitation laws

Cristiano Ronaldo and his partner Georgina Rodriguez on the stage during his unveiling at the Mrsool Park Stadium in the Saudi capital Riyadh on January 3, 2023. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP)

When Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez announced their engagement this month, two things stood out: the outsized diamond ring, and their unmarried cohabitation in conservative Saudi Arabia.

The celebrity couple and their blended brood of five children have been living in the birthplace of Islam for more than two years, untroubled by laws against extra-marital relationships.