Saudi Arabia to allow women into its sports stadiums

Women are finally going to be allowed into sports stadiums in Saudi Arabia from 2018.

The decision, announced by the country’s General Sports Authority is the Kingdom’s latest move towards allowing women to have greater rights.

Women who go to sports stadiums will still be required to sit in a new so-called ‘family’ section, which will be separate from the male-only crowd.

The ‘family’ sections will be available for women who are either out on their own, or are accompanied by a male relative. It will be similar to many restaurants and cafes in the country, which have separate ‘family’ and male-only seating areas.

The country’s three major stadiums in Riyadh, the capital, as well as in Jeddah and Dammam will undergo major renovations in order to be able to accommodate women.

The easing up of the rules comes in the wake of years of stadiums being strictly male-only – with only a few exceptions being made for foreign female visitors.

Last month, women were also allowed into the King Fahd stadium in Riyadh for an event commemorating the anniversary of the founding of the Kingdom.

Three years ago a Saudi woman, who was not named, was arrested for going to a football match at the newly-opened al-Jawhara stadium in Jeddah.

She said she didn’t realise the stadiums were male-only, but police claimed that the woman, in her twenties, had ‘deliberately disguised’ herself as a man by wearing trousers, a long-sleeved top, a hat and sunglasses.

The decision comes after a landmark ruling lifting the ban on women driving last month, and a decree issued by King Salman earlier this year stating that women will no longer need a guardian’s signature to access new government services.