A groom in Saudi Arabia has divorced his bride after seeing her face for the first time.

A SAUDI groom has reportedly divorced his bride on their wedding night after she removed her veil and he saw her face for the first time.

The couple, from the western Saudi city of Medinah, had arranged to marry without seeing or meeting each other, according to a report in local newspaper Okaz, as translated by Gulf News.

It wasn’t until the couple was preparing to have their wedding photo taken that the groom saw his new wife’s face — and was deeply disappointed.

“You are not the girl I want to marry,” he reportedly told her. “You are not the one I had imagined. I am sorry, but I divorce you.”

The woman immediately burst into tears in front of her gathered family and friends.

The shocking story quickly spread on social media, where the groom was criticised for being “totally irresponsible” and “utterly insensitive.”

“He caused her great pain through his irresponsible attitude, and he deserves to suffer,” one user, Afra, is quoted as saying.

“He should appreciate that beauty is in the character, not the face. Unfortunately, many young people today are interested only in looks and ignore values and morals. May God give her a better husband who will appreciate her for who and what she is.”