Saudi to let women into sport stadiums

Saudi Arabia is planning to break a long-standing ban and allow women into sport stadiums as the conservative Gulf Kingdom is gradually tearing down social barriers under public pressure, a sport official has said.

But women would not be allowed to mix with men inside the stadiums as separate cabins would be set up to accommodate families away from the rest of the audience.

The plan will be first enforced in the western Red Sea port of Jeddah in 2014 before it is expanded to include stadiums in other cities in the world’s dominant oil power.

“There is a plan to set up cabins and rent them to families wishing to watch football and other games inside the stadium,” said Ahmed Al Harbi, head of the Saudi football union.

He said the cabins would be constructed at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal stadium in Jeddah and that nearly 15 per cent of its 32,000-seat capacity would be allocated for families.

Al Harbi said female journalists would also be admitted into the stadium to cover events but would be allocated separate areas to avoid gender mixing.

A decision to let women into sports stadiums follow a proposal submitted by the Saudi Football Union in 2011 to the competent authorities to give females access to packed stadiums during football matches and other sport events.

Officials said last year that women could be allowed into the major sport stadiums in such big cities as Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam as a first step to fully lift the ban on female audience in the largest Arab economy.

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