Saudi sports authority apologises for images

Images of scantily clad women appeared on big screens during Friday’s WWE event

Saudi sports officials apologised after images of scantily clad women appeared on big screens during a world wrestling event held in the kingdom, which hosted women and children for the first time.

The Saudi General Sports Authority apologised in an online statement Saturday.

Viewers said the broadcast of the World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.’s “Greatest Royal Rumble” was cut off for a few moments as the images played.

The sports authority said there were shots of woman which were “indecent”.

It also said it would not show matches involving female wrestlers.

Friday night’s event featured WWE star John Cena and others. Women and children were on hand to watch the event. A previous WWE event held in 2014 was for men only.

But on Friday both women and children were in attendance.

It came as Saudi Arabia is gradually loosening restrictions on public entertainment.

It’s all part of a series of social changes pushed by the country’s assertive 32-yearold Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman.

WWE is wildly popular across the Middle East. The organisation has an Arabic website and has held events in other Gulf Arab nations.

Viewers said the broadcast of the World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.’s ‘Greatest Royal Rumble’ was cut off for a few moments as the images played.