Saudi Arabia has approved the establishment of a new department to develop women’s football in the kingdom, the latest move in a liberalisation drive.
The board of directors of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) has appointed Adwa AlArifi to head the department which will develop a strategy and a detailed implementation plan to promote women’s football and expand female participation levels across the kingdom, Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
In line with the goals of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 blueprint, the department will also raise public awareness of the importance of women’s participation in football and will work to ensure the participation of Saudi Arabian women’s national teams in international competitions.
AlArifi said in comments published by SPA that organised women’s football in Saudi Arabia has witnessed an encouraging start in the last two years, generating momentum which led to the SAFF board’s approval to establish a special department to foster continued growth.
She also noted that the increased presence of women at administrative decision-making levels within the game will help to accelerate the development of women’s football.
SAFF has also launched a Twitter account to help the public keep informed about all news and developments in relation to women’s football. (@SAFF_WFD).
The development comes amid as Saudi Arabia’s first women’s football league has begun, after being postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
More than 600 players for 24 teams based in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam are competing for a championship cup.
There’s also a growing trend of females wearing a sports-friendly version of the abaya gown.
Pictures of female athletes running in the garb in the Red Sea city of Jeddah went viral in 2018, setting off a new debate on sartorial freedoms for women in a country where the typically all-black, body-shrouding garment is obligatory in public.
Akin to a zippered jumpsuit, sports abayas envelop a woman’s body but offer greater mobility for sporting activities.
The latest fad is an ensemble of “soccer-themed abayas” – in the colours of the local teams, a new way for female sporting fans to cheer for their favourite players.
Such fashion trends are gaining momentum amid the kingdom’s liberalisation drive, including the historic royal decree allowing women to drive and enter sports stadiums for the first time.
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