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
KSrelief initiates treatment in Jordan for cancer-stricken Gaza girl
- Roza Al-Dreimli was transferred to Jordan through the initiative of KSrelief, amid the Gaza war that has destroyed hospitals
- She is currently under assessment and observation at the King Hussein Cancer Center, ahead of treatment
AMMAN: A cancer-stricken Palestinian girl from Gaza is now undergoing clinical observation prior to treatment at a specialist hospital in Jordan, thanks to the Saudi aid agency KSrelief.
Roza Al-Dreimli was transported to Amman from the Gaza Strip through the initiative of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) as part of Saudi Arabia’s continued commitment to providing life-saving aid and medical care to Palestinians suffering from critical health conditions, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Friday.
The report said that Roza’s case was prioritized due to the complexity of her condition, as assessments indicated a need for advanced treatment of cancerous cells at the base of the brain. She is now at the King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC).
"Under the supervision of a medical team specialized in pediatric brain tumors, she is currently undergoing intensive clinical monitoring and precise periodic examinations to assess the tumor’s response to treatment, ensure control of the condition, and prevent any potential neurological or visual complications resulting from the tumor’s location," SPA said.
The family expressed profound gratitude for KSrelief’s swift intervention, noting that the specialized care provided at KHCC has renewed their hope for their daughter’s recovery.
Such specialized care is currently unavailable in the Gaza Strip because of the destruction of hospitals during 26 months of bombardment by the Israeli military.
Israel systematically destroyed homes and commercial buildings and infrastructure in the Palestinian enclave in retaliation to the Oct. 7, 2023, raid by Hamas of Israeli border villages, during which the militant group killed more than 1,200 people and took 254 hostages.
