R.G., a young woman in her 20s, stopped her secondary school studies and in the hope of improving her family's financial conditions, agreed to marry a man in his 80s who had three wives. She said the octogenarian frequently visited her father's house and promised that he would provide her a separate residence and would pay her dowry of SR50,000. However, the young woman's dream evaporated as the old husband reneged on his promises. She said she has begged for a divorce for two years and her husband has agreed if she repays the dowry which she cannot afford to do. The woman cannot take the matter to court because the marriage contract requires her to repay the dowry if she asks for a divorce. She said she is living a very miserable life because her husband is so much older than her.
