Saudi man uses first wife's money to pay dowry to second wife

A woman dragged her husband to court for financial exploitation and has demanded compensation for emotional distress and physical abuse, Al-Watan reported.

The woman said she married two years ago.

“From the beginning of our marriage he kept asking me for money. He made me give him SR3,000 a month and he would ask for more giving different excuses every time. He would say that he has debts and he must pay them immediately or that he needs the money for the rent of the apartment,” said the woman.

She also said once he asked for SR200,000 and she refused to give him.

“He told me that it is for a loan and that if he did not pay it off he will go to prison. I still refused and he physically assaulted me and threatened me until I gave the money to him. Little did I know that he was planning to take another wife and is saving up for her dowry,” said the woman.

She also said she asked him to divorce her and he refused.

“He left me no choice but to go to the Personal Status Court and file for khula (the divorce of the wife from her husband which usually entails her repaying the dowry). I should not pay him back the dowry for our marriage because he had already exploited me enough financially,” said the woman.

She added she presented her claims to the court and her husband denied all of her allegations.

“He said I was just being jealous at the second wife. The court referred us to a reconciliation committee and they explained to my husband that exploiting financially was unacceptable. But he still refused to divorce me and I was adamant about filing for khula,” said the woman.

She also said the judge finally granted her a divorce without obliging her to pay back the dowry or any other expenses.

Lawyer and consultant Asim Al-Mullah said the rate of khula cases has increased this year.

“About 40 percent of family cases are khula cases. In many of the cases, the reason for khula is not convincing yet the procedure has become too easy and the wife is always granted the divorce. There are viable reasons to grant the wife a divorce and these reasons reflect on the husband,” said the woman.

He added the valid reasons for khula are if the husband does not pray, if the husband is unethical and immoral and if the husband is a drug addict.

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