FACT CHECK: Did A Saudi Prince Recently Marry A Six-Year-Old Girl?

An image shared on Facebook claims a Saudi Arabian prince married a six-year-old girl months after the country was elected to the U.N. Human Rights Council.

Verdict: False

There is no evidence to suggest such a marriage took place. The photo included in the post shows an Islamic religious leader, not a Saudi prince.

Fact Check:

The Facebook image shows a picture of a bearded man and another of a young girl in a white dress. “Saudi Prince Abou Lbarae Kahtani, 51 years old, and his new bride Hind Nawaf, 6 years old, exchanged vows in Saudi Arabia last week,” reads text included in the image. “Reports say it was a beautiful ceremony.” The post goes on to claim that the marriage occurred a few months after Saudi Arabia was “elected the Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Council.”

The post’s claims are inaccurate. There are no credible news reports of a recent marriage between a Saudi prince and a six-year-old girl. No mention of a prince by the name of “Abou Lbarae Kahtani” could be found on the House of Saud’s website or on the Saudi royal family’s family tree. Saudi Arabia banned marriage between adults and those under 18 years old in December 2019, according to the Saudi Gazette.

A reverse image search reveals the photo of the alleged prince featured in the post was shared in a 2015 article from Emirates 24/7, which identified the man as Sheikh Adel Al Kalbani, a “well-known Saudi Moslem scholar.” In 2009, he became the first black man to lead prayers in Mecca, according to The New York Times.

Saudi Arabia last served on the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2019, according to the organization’s website. The current president of the council is Argentina’s Ambassador to the U.N. Federico Villegas. (RELATED: Did Trump Fly US Soldiers Back From Operation Desert Storm On His Airline?)

This is not the first time misinformation has spread online about Saudi Arabia. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim suggesting the country would be holding an “International Straight Pride Month.”