25 women sport clubs to get licenses; decision applauded

Saudi judicial agencies recently announced their agreement to grant licenses to women sport clubs.
The decision has spurred 25 fitness facilities to embark on rectifying conditions at their premises to obtain the necessary licensing, a local newspaper reported.
In the past, female sport clubs were denied the authorization. Saudi women have over the past 50 years forced to exercising and playing sports within the premises of private schools.
However, the restrictions did not stop female sport enthusiasts from establishing their own basketball and volleyball clubs and competing with local and international teams.
Commenting on the decision to allow authorized women sport clubs to operate, Lina Almaeena, director of Jeddah United, said the news was warmly received by many women.
“The decision is a positive development for us and for other sport clubs in general,” she said.
She said that the importance of exercise and sports has been receiving greater attention in the community, while stressing that the availability of expert female staff operating and managing the clubs is essential.
“Supervision is a must, as there must be adequate knowledge and awareness about how to practice various types of sports,” Almaeena said.
According to Ruqyah Al-Zahrani, captain of the club, there is an evident increase in the number of female students from King Abdul Aziz University applying to join sport clubs.
She explained that currently there are 20 women sport clubs in Jeddah, three football teams in Riyadh, two basketball teams in the Eastern Province and one at Saudi Aramco.