Saudis to allow women to go to sports events
The announcement opens three stadiums to women for the first time, another sign of crown prince’s liberalization reforms.
About a month after Saudi Arabia granted women the right to drive, the kingdom has announced another historic move: Starting next year, women will be allowed to attend sporting events in stadiums for the first time.
Saudi Arabia’s General Sports Authority made the announcement Sunday, tweeting that preparations will begin to “accommodate families” in three stadiums in the major cities of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Two of the stadiums, the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh and the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, hold the highest seating capacity in the kingdom.
“Sports stadiums in Saudi Arabia to open their doors to welcome women in 2018,” Princess Reema Bandar bint Al-Saud, vice president for Women’s Affairs of the General Sports Authority, wrote on Twitter.
“The decision warms the hearts of the nation’s women,” she added. “Congratulations to us.”
It is unclear exactly how the stadiums will regulate where women and children will sit in relation to men, and whether the decision will apply to single women in addition to women with families. In many public places where women are allowed - such as public buses, parks, beaches and amusement parks - they are segregated.
The landmark decision follows last month’s historic decree that women would finally be granted Saudi driver’s licenses for the first time in June 2018.
The move ends one of the country’s most widely criticized and visible restrictions on human rights. It also comes amid a number of reforms put forth by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, the heir apparent to the Saudi throne, and outlined in his Vision 2030 plan. He has said that the government aims to boost female participation in the workforce from 22 percent to 30 percent by 2030.
Women continue to be treated as second-class citizens in Saudi Arabia. They require permission from male guardians, such as a father, husband or brother, to travel, obtain passports, sign contracts and get married or divorced. They must follow strict dress codes under conservative Islamic law.
In a speech last week, the crown prince said he hopes to turn his country toward a more moderate version of Islam. He described plans to build a futuristic city run solely on alternative energy. A promotional video for his proposed development shows women running in sports bras, working alongside men in co-ed offices without the hijab covering women’s heads.
“We were not like this in the past,” he said, the Washington Post reported. “We want to go back to what we were: moderate Islam.”
Last month, hundreds of women were permitted to enter the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh to participate in the kingdom’s National Day celebrations for the first time. Though they had to sit in a specific section for families, they were able to enjoy fireworks, light shows and a concert in honor of the 87th anniversary of the kingdom’s foundation, Reuters reported.