Saudi Arabia to allow women into ’family sections’ at sports stadia as reforms continue
Saudi Arabia will allow women into sports stadiums from next year, in conservative kingdom’s latest step towards easing gender segregation rules.
But they will be seated in the so-called family section, an area separate from the male-only crowd.
The General Sports Authority described the decision as one that will allow "families" into the stadiums, a term authorities use to refer to public spaces that accommodate women.
The authority said the three major sports stadiums in the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam would be altered to accommodate families, reversing years of long-standing practice to allow only men into the stadiums.
The decision comes after the public appeared to welcome last month’s move that allowed women into the Riyadh stadium for the first time, for national day celebrations.
AP
