Same-sex relations are illegal in Saudi Arabia, with punishments governed by Sharia law. According to Human Rights Watch, certain interpretations can include the death sentence, "100 blows of the whip", or "banishment for one year". But one womam, Al Hussain, has escaped the country, according to the Daily Mirror and is beginning to establish a life for herself after being granted asylum in the UK. Al Hussain was "informed" by her mother at the age of 16 that she had been "reserved" for an arranged marriage to a 40 year old male cousin. "I didn't say a thing to anyone in my family about my plans. As soon as I got on the plane, I breathed a sigh of relief. I couldn't even feel my legs from the adrenaline and nerves. "The minute I arrived in London, I burst into tears. And the tears didn't stop when I went to an airport officer and said I needed to apply for asylum. “At one point during my initial interview that day, the officer said: 'I promise you're safe'. But I just could not stop crying," she added. Al Hussain has settled in the capital and has a girlfriend, who has taught her the art of dance music DJing. So much so that Al has taken up DJing at several clubs. "I couldn't be happier," Al said. "I can truly be myself and I have also found a community that I feel safe in."