Recently, Saudi Arabia has sought to recruit a series of world-class players with huge salaries, led by Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar. In addition, dozens of lesser-known strikers were also signed by clubs in Muslim countries. This is said to be part of Saudi Arabia’s plan to quickly elevate the king’s sport.

Players coming to Saudi Arabia to compete means their wives or girlfriends and children also change their residence. The husband or boyfriend’s huge salary and the government’s special remuneration policies create conditions for them to enjoy a life of luxury beyond imagination. However, for many people, that material appeal does not make this land worth living for women.

A prosperous place

Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, is more liberal than many other cities in the Middle Eastern country, with dozens of world-class restaurants and shopping malls. Once a sleepy town of just 18,000 residents, it has grown into a flashy international metropolis, boasting skyscrapers and upscale residential areas; is leading the country in the quest for greater cultural openness, economic development and improved women’s rights, known as “Vision 2030”.

Riyadh is sparkling and bustling at night. Photo: Getty Images.

The favorite place of Georgina Rodriguez, Ronaldo’s girlfriend, and other famous WAGs is Via Riyadh – a luxury shopping and dining center with 17 top restaurants such as Michelin-starred Gymkhana serving good Indian food. Spago, specializes in Californian dishes and is owned by famous chef Wolfgang Puck… If you like Chinese food, you can go to Hakkasan, while Novikov has Japanese food that is popular with WAGs. A meal at any of the luxury eateries in Via Riyadh costs between 190-254 USD.

Ronaldo’s favorite restaurant since moving to Riyadh is TATEL, headquartered in Madrid, with branches in Beverley Hills and Ibiza, serving authentic Spanish cuisine. Meanwhile, former French player Karim Benzema and his colleagues were seen eating at French restaurant Le Maschou, where Wagyu Rib Eye beef steak will cost about 254 USD.

Unlike their lovers, the main joy of WAGs is shopping for luxury brands at exclusive shopping centers. Via Riyadh has dozens of top designer brands such as Dolce & Gabbana and Tom Ford… Famous designer Elli Saab also opened her world’s largest store there.

Another popular shopping destination is chic Thalia Street in the city center. It has many luxury shops, European-style cafes, and even outdoor music and dance performances – something that doesn’t happen in other parts of the country.

Besides, Diplomatic Quarter (Al Safarit, also known as Diplomatic Square) is also one of the most expensive places in the city. A basic cappuccino with a slice of cake sells for nearly $25, while a standard meal for one person at an average restaurant costs around $63.

It is located northwest of Riyadh, known as the “Beverley Hills of Arabia”. Here, Ronaldo and Georgina and their five children live in a luxurious 15-bedroom villa. It includes many amenities such as a swimming pool, spa, games room and private cinema room. The villa is guaranteed privacy thanks to high walls and majestic gates. With stunning views of Riyadh, the house is said to rent for around more than $2,500 a month.

Brazilian football icon Neymar lives nearby, in a stunning villa said to have 25 bedrooms, three swimming pools and a fleet of luxury cars including Bentley Continental GP, Aston Martin DBX… All owned by his club. provided by brother, Al Hilal. Benzema also rented a house in an area reserved for members of the Saudi royal family and diplomats.

Checkpoints manned by members of the Saudi Arabian armed forces are located on all roads leading into the Diplomatic Quarter and anyone entering is required to provide their identity details.

This area is usually closed to locals. Most of them cannot afford the expensive prices. Many of the rules that govern life in Saudi Arabia generally do not apply in the Diplomatic Quarter, making it the perfect place for WAGs and their partners.

Football players playing at smaller clubs can earn from 25,000 to 38,000 USD/month, are tax exempt, and are given free cars and villas to rent to stay. They live in a complex with a swimming pool, tennis court and health club. That salary may be nothing compared to Ronaldo’s $4.3 million/week or Neymar’s $3.2 million/week, but it is still significant compared to normal people.

Diplomatic Quarter is the most isolated and luxurious residential area in Riyadh. Ronaldo and Neymar currently live here. Photo: Matrixpictures.

Not an ideal place for Western women

Despite the more liberal atmosphere of Riyadh and some of Saudi Arabia’s other major urban centers than in the past, change has been slow. Homosexuality in the Muslim country is illegal and punishable by death, life imprisonment, flogging, fines and deportation. Unmarried heterosexual couples are not allowed to live under the same roof.

Saudi Arabian authorities made an exception for Ronaldo, who plays for the Al-Nassr club in Riyadh, granting him special permission to live with Georgina.

In the past, Saudi Arabian law required all women, including foreigners, to cover their hair and wear an Abaya, a long robe that is usually black. This regulation was repealed in 2019, but the vast majority of indigenous women still maintain this habit when appearing in public, making it a cultural norm.

Neyda Rodriguez (43 years old), a Colombian who lived in Saudi Arabia for about 10 years, made friends with some WAGs who had just moved to the country. She bravely shares with MailOnline the difficulties that women from more open cultures face in the oil lands.

“As women, we are not allowed to expose any part of our body, including our shoulders, upper arms and chest area. The wives of players who arrived in Saudi Arabia were shocked by the restrictions placed on them. Having the wives of football players in this country is very new for us because until recently, the only foreign women were family members of men working in the oil and gas industry. I can completely understand why foreign women don’t like being in Saudi, even feel quite scared, but people are there for the money they can earn. Life is better than it was 5 years ago. Things are changing, but in my opinion, they are not changing fast enough,” Rodriguez said.

Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to wear clothes that reveal skin in public. Photo: Matrixpictures.

Some football players’ wives agreed to talk about how they struggled with Saudi Arabian culture, but the prerequisite was that their identities must be kept completely secret. They fear serious consequences if their names are accidentally revealed. They worry about how they dress to the point of becoming paranoid when going to public places, always feeling threatened if they relax and become “too Western”.

“It’s very difficult for foreign women in Saudi Arabia, especially if locals feel you’re dressed inappropriately. One time I was scolded because my shoulders and part of my legs were exposed. We weren’t allowed to wear shorts in public, despite the heat. You can’t even wear them on the beach. If you do, people will look at you like they hate you. It can be very scary,” one WAG confided.

Another person said he was refused entry to shopping malls because his biceps and shoulders were not covered by wearing a vest. They asked her to dress properly before returning. Some women even raised their voices at her.

“When it comes to women, the culture here is very different. They are very strict. If you don’t cover up carefully, you may have difficulty going out,” she emphasized.

“You can’t act naturally like in the West. You have to be alert every time you leave your front door. So you tend not to go out,” a third person told MailOnline .

Class division

Along with the salary the players are paid, the difference in the WAGs’ lives is also clearly seen.

Georgina Rodriguez regularly posts photos of herself wearing swimsuits or sexy and colorful dresses while in Riyadh on her 56 million-follower Instagram account. She may receive many angry comments asking to be more discreet, but they are not enough to restrain the 9X beauty.

Georgina Rodriguez freely shows off her bikini photos, but not everyone is favored like that. Photo: IG.

In the case of having to wear an Abaya on the street, WAGs whose husbands earn millions of dollars are qualified to wear gowns created by top designers. Michael Kors sells the Abaya for about $7,600, while Dolce & Gabbana lists it for less than $5,000. They also compete with each other with designer handbags worth tens of thousands of dollars.

“Not every player is Ronaldo and not every player’s wife is Georgina. Different rules apply to them but that does not apply to the wives of lesser-known players and women in general,” Neyda Rodriguez explained.

One WAG added: “It’s easier for famous WAGs here because they can leave often. However, we are stuck in dormitories. Our husbands may earn higher salaries than before, but we pay a heavy price.”

Even if they are more favored, the wives or girlfriends of football stars show that it is not okay to spend long periods of time in Saudi Arabia. Many are frequent visitors to neighboring countries such as Dubai or Bahrain, which are more liberal than Saudi Arabia and have no cultural restrictions on what women can wear, in addition to allowing drinking alcohol.

Georgina constantly updates photos of her traveling around the world on a private plane to exotic locations. She seems to spend more time away than staying in Riyadh. Benzema’s lover, Jordan Ozuna, divides her time between New York and Paris. When she visits him, they usually meet in Dubai. Before breaking up, Neymar’s girlfriend, Bruna Blancardi, declared that she did not want to live in Saudi Arabia if they got married.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s girlfriend, Serbian midfielder of Al Hilal club, must comply with the regulations of wearing Abaya when appearing in public places in Saudi Arabia. Photo: IG.

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi’s wife, Antonella, revealed that her husband rejected a two-year contract worth $877 million with Al Hilal club in the summer of 2023, instead joining David Beckham’s Inter Miami. She insists America is a better choice for her and her three children.

Cultural barriers may be the reason why Saudi Arabian clubs have not signed any more famous players, unlike in 2023 when they continuously recruited big names.

Victory over the WAGs could be the key for the oil kingdom to successfully host the 2030 World Cup and make football an important part of the country.