What life in Saudi Arabia is REALLY like for football’s WAGs: ‘hissed at in the street’ and ‘turned away from shops’ – but there is a ‘dream life’ on offer in neighbouring country

At what point does money become worthless? 

That, in a nutshell, is the question that has faced the wives and girlfriends of footballers lured to Saudi Arabia in the two and a half years since the Gulf state, eager to diversify its oil-based economy and revitalise its international reputation, first began throwing bucketloads of cash at thirty something stars.

Since Cristiano Ronaldo signed a deal with Al-Nassr reputedly worth more than £3 million a week in late December 2022, encouraging other household names like Neymar, Karim Benzema and Roberto Firmino to follow in his footsteps, there has been much talk about the sacrifices players have made in return for their fat pay cheques. 

Lack of exposure, in a competition with an average attendance of just 8,409, has been among the issued raised. Competitive level, too, what with the Saudi Pro League’s lopsided amalgam of seasoned pros and underwhelming domestic talent. And that’s before we even get to the more serious questions raised by the kingdom’s questionable human rights record.

While those topics have been hotly debated, however, scant thought has been given to the challenges faced by players’ partners in a country known for its deeply conservative culture, blistering climate and abysmal women’s rights record.

Not all have been as fortunate as Ronaldo and his girlfriend Georgina Rodríguez, who were granted special dispensation to live together (under Saudi law, unmarried couples are normally forbidden to cohabit). The couple currently reside in a 17-bedroom villa in Al Muhammadiyah, an exclusive residential area in Riyadh, and have been effusive about life in the Saudi Capital.

But while Riyadh offers an abundance of high-end restaurants and luxury retail outlets, and occupies a central place in the country’s Vision 2030 programme, spearheaded by Prince Mohammed bin Salman and designed to broaden the country’s economy horizons and create a less restrictive culture, life elsewhere can be challenging. 

Wives and girlfriends in other areas of the kingdom, where traditional attitudes often remain relatively unchanged, say that they are fearful of venturing out in public lest they should fall foul of expectations about attire or behaviour.

‘It’s very hard for expat women in Saudi Arabia, especially if the locals feel you are not dressed properly,’ said one WAG, speaking on condition of anonymity. ‘On one occasion I was shouted at just because my shoulders and part of my legs were showing.

‘We’re not allowed to wear shorts in public, despite the heat. You can’t even wear them on the beach. And if you do, people look at you as if they hate you. It can be very intimidating.’

Under the Public Decency Law, introduced in 2019 in an effort to strike a balance between modernity and tradition, the traditional requirement for Saudi women to cover their faces and wear the abaya – a black, full-length robe – has given way to a more liberal emphasis on modest, loose-fitting clothing that covers the elbows and ankles. 

But while patterned and colourful abayas have become more common, most Saudi women continue to observe the old dress code. For foreign women unaccustomed to the culture, adhering to expectations can be like navigating a minefield.

‘I’ve been turned away from shopping malls just because my upper arms and shoulders were not covered up and you could see part of my chest as I had a vest on,’ said the partner of another player.

‘People told me to return when I’m dressed properly. Sometimes women shout abuse at you, and it can be very frightening. When it comes to women, the culture is very different here and they are very strict. If you’re not covered up properly then you could be in for a hard time when you go out.’

Problems range from being hissed at in the street by locals to the more serious harassment experienced by Cristina Palavra, wife of the Real Mallorca midfielder Dani Rodríguez. Palavra described moments of ‘genuine panic’ after the club’s defeat to Real Madrid in January’s Spanish Super Cup final, which was staged in Jeddah, as it has been since 2019 under the terms of a lucrative long-term deal.

‘The boys from this country started taking photos of us up close and harassed us,’ Palvara told Esports IB3. ‘We felt a little disoriented because we didn’t have anyone protecting us. The exit was very bad. We went with the children and there was no security.’

Natalia Kaluzova and Sara Noguera, respectively the partners of goalkeeper Dominik Greif and midfielder Manu Morlanes, made similar allegations. 

‘They came into our group and [were] doing videos of us and pushed us, they groped us, shoved phones into our faces and filmed us,’ said Kaluzova.

‘I was with two friends who had their bottoms touched,’ added Noguera. ‘They were laughing at us, pointing at us, pushing us.’ 

Between the extremes of sexual harassment and social conservatism – some hotel pools are off limits to women, while gyms are segregated – the obvious temptation is simply to stay indoors.

‘You can’t just act naturally like you do in the west,’ said the partner of another player, again speaking on condition of anonymity. ‘You have to be on your guard every time you leave the front door – so you tend to not go out.’ 

Another way around the situation, however, albeit not one available to the families of all players, is simply to avoid living in Saudi Arabia all together. That was the solution alighted upon by former Liverpool team-mates Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson and their wives, both of whom chose to live over the border in Bahrain during their time at Al-Ettifaq, in the eastern city of Dammam.

Gerrard, who became one of the world’s best paid managers when he joined Al-Ettifaq in the summer of 2023, was granted the use of a luxurious local villa on joining the club. 

But throughout the duration of his 18 months in charge, the former Liverpool skipper’s family stayed in the Bahraini capital, Manama.

So regularly did Gerrard make the hour-long commute across the border that, at one stage, he was moved to call a local radio in an effort to scotch rumours that he was permanently based in the country.

It is not difficult to see what might have drawn Gerrard’s wife, Alex Curran, to Bahrain.

The country’s opulent malls, restaurants and bars have earned it a reputation as the party capital of the Gulf region, and while living it up was perhaps not the first priority for the mother of four, she was often spotted at luxury shopping destinations such as the World Trade Centre and The Avenues. 

In theory, the proximity of Henderson and his wife Rebecca Burnett, whose arrival at Al-Ettifaq closely followed Gerrard’s, should have helped further with the transition to a new way of life. 

But Henderson cut short his stay at Al-Ettifaq after just six months, abandoning his £350,000 a week contract to join Ajax amid rumours that his wife and two daughters felt uncomfortable even in Bahrain. 

‘As nice as Bahrain is, it is a bit like being in bubble,’ said one woman who met Rebecca. ‘It can get a bit dull because it’s like living in a very fancy all-inclusive resort.’ 

The Gerrards, however, appeared to have no such problems, becoming regulars at Bahrain Rugby Club, an exclusive expat hangout with a large sports bar.

Daniel McRae, a Liverpool fan who, like Gerrard, frequented the bar to watch Premier League games, said the Liverpool legend often enjoyed a pint and a chat with the locals.

‘He likes a beer, he likes to socialise and have a chat about football, and you won’t get that in Saudi Arabia,’ said McRae.

‘And it’s easier for women to live here, which is why his wife probably wanted to be here. You can go around in shorts or a vest and nobody will bother you, so that makes Bahrain more attractive.’

Whatever the relative merits of the two countries, the presence of a footballer’s partner in an authoritarian state like Saudi Arabia undoubtedly represents a clash of cultural extremes. And while it should be acknowledged that the country is becoming more progressive, the pace of change is slow. 

‘The wives of footballers that have come to Saudi are very shocked by the restrictions that are placed on them,’ said Neyda Rodriguez, 44, a Colombian who has lived in Saudi Arabia for a decade and become friends with a number of WAGs.

‘I can totally understand why foreign women don’t like it in Saudi and feel quite intimidated, but people are there because of the money they can earn.

‘Life is better compared to five years before and things are changing but, in my opinion, they are not changing quickly enough.’