Saudi Arabia to open sports stadiums to women from 2018

Families attend a event at King Fahad Stadium in Riyadh for Saudi National Day. (Arab News photo)
Updated 30 October 2017
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Saudi Arabia to open sports stadiums to women from 2018

JEDDAH: Women’s empowerment will take another step forward at the beginning of 2018 when families are permitted inside stadiums and other sports facilities.
It was one of a raft of decisions announced on Sunday by Turki Al-Asheikh, chairman of the General Sports Authority, aimed at supporting and stimulating the sports sector.
The authority “will start rehabilitating the main stadiums in Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah to be ready to receive families starting in 2018,” Al-Asheikh said.
The move is part of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to engage women in society as an integral part of the development process.
This month Al-Asheikh, who is also president of the Saudi Olympic Committee, appointed Princess Reema bint Bandar president of the Saudi Federation for Community Sports.
Princess Reema has also opened the new Studio 5 gym in Jeddah.  She seeks to encourage women to take exercise in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Last month, women were invited with their families to a sports stadium for the first time to attend annual National Day celebrations. Such venues had previously been male only.


Saudi watchdog warns of possible health risk from Nestle baby formula

Updated 8 min 51 sec ago
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Saudi watchdog warns of possible health risk from Nestle baby formula

  • Company voluntarily recalls its Nan, Alfamino, S-26 Gold and S-26 Ultima products over concerns they might be contaminated with cereulide, a toxin produced by bacteria
  • Saudi Food and Drug Authority says recall is precautionary and no related illnesses have been reported, but advises consumers to dispose of recalled products immediately

RIYADH: The Saudi Food and Drug Authority on Tuesday warned the public not to consume certain Nestle infant formula products, after the company issued a voluntary recall over concerns about possible contamination.

The advisory covers products marketed under the Nan, Alfamino, S-26 Gold and S-26 Ultima brands. They might be contaminated with cereulide, a toxin produced by the Bacillus cereus bacteria, which can pose a risk to infant health, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The Saudi authority said the recall was a precautionary measure and no related illnesses have been reported. Possible symptoms of exposure can include nausea, repeated vomiting and abdominal pain.

It advised consumers to dispose of the recalled products immediately, and said it was coordinating with Nestle to ensure they are removed from stores and is monitoring the process.

Full details of the affected products, including batch numbers, are available at the Saudi Food and Drug Authority website. The organization said consumers can report any food safety concerns by calling 19999.