World | Saudi Arabia Saudi Child Bride's Marriage Annulled Wedding to middle-aged man sparked global controversy By Matt Cantor Posted Apr 30, 2009 7:27 AM CDT Copied A Saudi man, right, buys a wedding dress at a shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2008. (AP Photo) The marriage of an eight-year-old Saudi girl to a man in his 50s that drew worldwide attention has been annulled in an out-of-court settlement, the BBC reports. A judge had twice denied the girl—reportedly married off by her father to pay a debt—a divorce. The case has led Saudi officials to say they’d start regulating young girls’ "arbitrary" marriages. Read These Next Matt Damon on being 'canceled': It 'just never ends.' Spanberger becomes Virginia's first female governor. An NFL team owner just became the biggest private landowner in the US. Indeed ranks the best US jobs for 2026. Report an error