JIZAN, 7 March 2008 — Saudi tradition holds that people tend to marry young. But when families in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia wedded a 12-year-old boy to his 11-year-old cousin, even the Saudi press blanched. The Al-Riyadh daily reported that the two families celebrated the union with traditional folklore and dances in a small village near the border city of Jizan. On the bright side: the groom and the bride are still in school... primary school.
‘Mabrook! Here’s My Sick Leave’
YANBU, 7 March 2008 — A teacher decided to give his colleague a rather creative wedding present: his annual sick leave. According to the Al-Madinah paper, the teacher gave his friend his sick leave so that his bridegroom buddy could have extra time off. Never mind that it’s actually against the rules for an employee to give another employee his paid leave. It’s the thought that counts. And apparently the school has agreed to the arrangement because, well, such a strange wedding gift must certainly be facilitated.
