On April 15, 2009, BBC news published an article concerning the marriage of an eight year old Saudi Arabian girl to a 60-year-old man. The girl’s mother took the marriage to the Unaiza court to have the marriage annulled but the court ruled against her. The court allowed the marriage on the condition that the man not have sex with the girl until she reaches puberty. After reaching puberty, the judge ruled that the girl could then file for a divorce.
In response to this case, and others like it, Justice Minister Mohammad Issa suggested regulating the age at which parents can marry off their young girls but mentioned nothing about eliminating the practice entirely.
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Compiled from: Saudis 'to regulate' Child Brides, BBC News, 15 April 2009.