Female athletes may be the latest to benefit as Saudi Arabia are slowly allowing women new freedoms.
With women now permitted to travel alone and register marriages, delegates of the Shoura Council have now called on the General Sports Authority to investigate the most appropriate manner of setting up and supporting the construction of women’s sports clubs across the country.
Some members, including Dr Ahmed Al- Shuwaikhat say that this would help further engage women into society and accelerate development in Saudi Arabia as a whole.
“Women have shown outstanding performance in different fields such as education, leadership and economics,” Shuwaikhat emphasised. Setting up these clubs would further empower women and help restore the “psychological and physical balance in society,” and enable female athletes to participate in the regional and international stage.
The vision for 2030 is to see the number of women playing sport in Saudi Arabia increase from its current figure of 13 percent to 40 percent.
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Lina Almaeena, another member of the Council, told Arab News that “Sport is also a part of our culture and we will strike a balance between both sexes and empower women in the public sector.” Almaeena wants these women clubs to be set up in the same fashion as the men’s so that all aspiring athletes can practise sports at any place and anytime.
With Saudi Arabia recently coming under scrutiny for scrapping ring girls during the Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz re-match, this is clearly a step in the right direction for not only female athletes in the country, but women’s rights in general.