Manama: A Pakistani driver who claims to be the husband of a Saudi millionaire has filed a suit to claim his inheritance following her death.
The driver presented documents to prove that he was married to his former sponsor to the court in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, Saudi daily Okaz reported on Tuesday.
He told the court that he was looking forward to receiving his inheritance in cash through the sale of the properties of his deceased wife.
According to the documents, the driver who was not named said that he worked for her for years under her sponsorship and that they got married and lived together in her house.
However, the couple had serious differences after he took a second wife, a Pakistani national.
The driver said that despite the differences between them, he did not divorce his Saudi wife, which made him fully entitled to inheriting her wealth after her death.
However, the family of the Saudi businesswoman has charged that the driver was the major cause of the deterioration of her health and that he had neglected her until she died.
The family said that they were suing him for causing her death and that they would present the evidence supporting their claims to the court.
The law in Saudi Arabia allows Saudi women to take non-Saudi husbands who meet the conditions set by the authorities.
A new set of rules issued last month for Saudi women planning to marry foreigners include a clause that stipulates that the age difference between them must not exceed 10 years.
This condition was set reportedly to ensure there is no exploitation of Saudi women.
The only exception for the minimum age for the woman is the existence of a physical handicap or special needs, including being born to unknown parents.
In such cases, the minimum age is lowered from 30 to 27 and should be approved by the social affairs ministry.
A non-Saudi cannot take a Saudi wife if he is already married or if he was previously married to a Saudi woman. He must also present a certificate showing that he has no criminal record in his country of origin or in Saudi Arabia.
He must also present evidence he is not suffering from any infectious or genetic diseases. He must not have been a member of the military in a foreign country, must not be on the lists of those banned from entering Saudi Arabia, must have a monthly salary of at least 5,000 Saudi Riyals and a valid residence permit and must possess an appropriate family residence.
He must not be stateless and must have a specific nationality and must prove it with a passport from his country that has at least another 12 months of validity. He must also clear all security checks to be carried out by the competent authorities in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi woman has to sign a statement that her marriage with a foreigner did not necessarily mean he or their children would have the right to be granted the Saudi citizenship.
Around one third of the 28 million people living in Saudi Arabia are foreigners, working mainly in the construction and service sectors.
