Saudi Man Divorces Wife Because She Was In Love With A Camel

Divorce For Saudi Wife Who 'Loved A Camel More Than Her Husband'
Camels in the Saudi Arabia's desert
Camels in the Saudi Arabia's desert
Noraznen Azit via Getty Images

A Saudi Arabian man has divorced his wife after an awkward trip to the country's capital of Riyadh.

The unnamed couple were visiting the wife's family home when things began to fall apart.

Reports say the man was flirting with his wife in a playful way when she told him she loved her father's camel, al-Waleef, more than she loved him.

al-Waleef means "the beloved" in Arabic

The man's wife said she was unable to reciprocate his loving comments, but he declined the chance to respond. It was only after she spent more time praising the camel that he decided to divorce her.

The husband reportedly said his wife was an animal who didn't deserve to live among humans when he broke the news.

The bizarre case has received mixed reactions in the Islamic country, with some people praising him for "teaching his arrogant wife a lesson", while others attacked them for breaking their sacred bond over a trivial matter.

It is currently illegal for a woman to divorce a man in Saudi Arabia without the permission of a male guardian, so the wife's camel affair may have been a tactic to induce the break-up.

Saudi Women's Struggle For Equal Rights

Close

What's Hot