In 2018, Saudi Arabia allowed women to watch football games at stadiums for the first time. This month, the decreasingly conservative country is launching its first female football league.
It is no secret that Saudi Arabia is undergoing transformative social changes, one that has been initiated by the country's young Crown Prince vision, ending decades of extreme conservatism.
It was in 2018 that women were finally able to issue driving licenses and drive in Saudi roads, a decision that came after many years of imprisoning female activists who dared to challenge the no-women drivers rule.
The #Saudi Arabian Football Federation launched on Saturday the first edition of the Saudi Women’s Football League. @SaudiFF https://t.co/0YOV4gyGPg
— Saudi Gazette (@Saudi_Gazette) November 13, 2021
2018 was also the same year that Saudi women were allowed into football venues to watch games along with their male counterparts.
Ever since women have reported significantly more relaxed rules in Saudi Arabia, including government programs encouraging women to join the sports world, despite decades of frowning upon female-practiced sports in the kingdom.
Last September, Saudi welcomed the well-known German football coach Monika Staab to lead the country's first women's national team.
Yesterday, Saudi Arabian Football Federation announced launching the first edition of the Saudi Women’s Football League, where the first game will be held on Monday, the 22nd of November, 2021.
The league will feature 16 different teams representing Saudi regions, and games will be held in the country's three major cities, Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.
يا عالم والله العظيم قلنا لكم كرة القدم للرجال والله للعظيم للرجال غصب تدخل المرأة بكل شي حتى في اوروبا دخلت وفشلت ولا احد طق لهم خبر
— عَسى (@smsm4y) November 13, 2021
Translation: "We've repeatedly said that football is only meant for men. Women force themselves onto everything. Even in Europe, they tried to play it, failed, and no one knows anything about them."
بسيطه اذا اشكالهم ما اعجبتك لا تشوفينهم، واذا انتي ما تعرفين تلعبين كورة خلي غيرك يلعب
— المانع (@Almane_Sultan) November 14, 2021
Translation: "Easy, if you don't like their looks then don't watch them. If you don't know how to play football let others do it...."
Online, while many people welcomed the news, some conservative voices still expressed dissatisfaction with the move, insisting on associating the game with men only in reference to cultural and traditional norms.
