The answer to Jhon Duran’s wonder is simple. Cristiano Ronaldo is a bigger star and stars they do as you please, especially in a society that is not a democracy.
The Al Nassr striker moved to Saudi Arabia after his transfer from Aston Villa in January.
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Duran confused over the country’s cohabitation laws
Jhon Duran is said to have been confused by a strict Saudi Arabian law after his transfer from Aston Villa to Al Nassr.
The 21-year-old signed for Al Nassr for a transfer fee of approximately £65 million in January and has already earned around £7 million for his efforts in the Middle East.
But he was reportedly put out of the country’s laws when he traded his life in England for a new adventure in the Gulf state.
Planned 600 km commute from Bahrain
According to Sky Sports in February, Duran is said to have considered commuting 600 km from Bahrain to Al Nassr, which is based in Riyadh.
Both Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson also chose to live in Bahrain during their spells at Al-Ettifaq.
However, while Al-Ettifaq’s training facility is about an hour’s drive from Bahrain, Al Nassr’s facilities are around 500 km away – requiring a flight of one hour and 20 minutes.
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Strict cohabitation legislation
The reason for the long commute is due to Saudi Arabia’s strict cohabitation laws, which require couples to be married to live together. Duran and his partner are not married.
Private landlords can ask for proof of marriage before renting out homes, and the country first allowed unmarried foreign couples to rent hotel rooms together in 2019 as part of its tourism venture. Other recent changes include lifting the ban on female drivers and allowing women to travel abroad without a male guardian. – Harry Potter and magic are not allowed yet.
Ronaldo received “special treatment”
But not everyone has to follow the laws of cohabitation. Duran’s teammate Cristiano Ronaldo was given “special permission” to live with his girlfriend Georgina Rodríguez, after local authorities reportedly “turned a blind eye” to the situation.
Ronaldo, who recently signed a new two-year contract with Al Nassr worth over £492 million, continues to live with Rodríguez in the country – despite breaking Saudi Arabian law.
An anonymous lawyer told EFE, according to SPORT:
“Although the kingdom’s laws still prohibit cohabitation without a marriage contract, the authorities have recently started to turn a blind eye and no longer punish anyone. But the laws are still applied if problems or crimes arise.”
As always, the rules for you apply, while others get away. Some criminals even become presidents.
