RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has invited women to a sports stadium for the first time to attend annual national day celebrations with their families, state media said Wednesday, opening up a previously male-only venue.
Families will be allowed into the King Fahd stadium in Riyadh, used mostly for football matches, and seated separately from single men to mark the kingdom's 87th National Day this weekend.
"The stadium is ready to receive about 40,000 people divided between individuals and families to be seated separately," the official Saudi Press Agency said in a statement, citing the general authority of entertainment.
This marks a shift from previous celebrations in the kingdom where women are effectively barred from sports arenas by strict rules on segregation of the sexes in public.
This measure represents another step into relaxing some norms as part of its "Vision 2030" plan for economic and social reforms.
In July, rights campaigners welcomed an "overdue" reform by the education ministry to allow girls to take part in sports at state schools.
Saudi Arabia allows women into King Fahd stadium to join national day celebrations
Saudi Arabia allows women into King Fahd stadium to join national day celebrations
8 NGOs join Saudi Arabia’s national vegetation drive
- The center continues to promote collaboration across sectors to expand environmental awareness and advance sustainability goals through knowledge exchange
RIYADH: The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification has signed memoranda of understanding with several nonprofit environmental associations to strengthen partnerships with the nonprofit sector in advancing national goals for environmental sustainability.
The MoUs were signed with eight associations: Al-Nakaa Association, Lavender Society, Darb Hiking Trails and Walking Trips Association, Hail Agriculture Development Association, Yanbu Environmental Association, Rifaq Environment Association (Hail), Aghsan Environmental Association, and Pristine Future Environment Association.
The center said cooperation with the nonprofit sector enhances volunteer and community initiatives and maximizes environmental and social impact across the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
The agreements are part of a broader cooperation framework covering afforestation and land rehabilitation projects, nature-based tourism support, expertise exchange, capacity building through training, and community environmental awareness.
The center continues to promote collaboration across sectors to expand environmental awareness and advance sustainability goals through knowledge exchange, coordinated community efforts, joint outreach programs, and initiatives supporting national environmental objectives.
