RIYADH, 2 October 2003 — A Saudi father demanded a suitor pay SR1,000 just to have a look at his daughter before marrying her, a Saudi newspaper said yesterday. Al-Watan daily said the father also asked the prospective groom to pay SR5,000, apparently as down payment on a dowry, once his daughter — who is currently divorcing her first husband and father of her child — agreed to the marriage. The paper said the groom, a Saudi who is already married and has five children, paid both sums but called off the deal when he found that the bride had been married before. Islamic Shariah law as practised in Saudi Arabia allows a man to have up to four wives at a time. It also segregates men and women who are not related. Most marriages in the Kingdom are arranged by families and most grooms must pay a substantial dowry to the bride.