The first dedicated sports center for females is now open in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, paving the way for women’s empowerment in the conservative Gulf country. A sports center for women has been granted a license by the General Presidency for Youth Welfare. This is the first sports center of its kind ever to open in oil-rich KSA. The center will offer a number of sports activities including karate for women and special programs for children as well.
The center’s opening ceremony was held on Saturday and in attendance were a number of prominent Saudi businesswomen. The center is located in the eastern province of Al-Khobar, but the name is not yet revealed to the public. This milestone in women’s rights and in sports was reported in Al Watan, a local Arabic news daily.
Local and international trainers needed
The owner and director of the center is Hanaa al-Zuhair. She told the media that she is planning to utilize both local and foreign agencies in recruiting trainers. She revealed that some Saudi women have already been recruited to run the center’s courses, some of whom received training abroad. The center reportedly has a karate black belt in the staff.
The center will offer yoga classes and a variety of physical fitness programs for women. Aside from sports, the center will also offer weight loss programs. The newly-inaugurated sports complex for women offers a number of opportunities never before seen in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. According to the owner, the license that they have been granted is the first and is “a start for women’s investments in sports.”
Expansion of women’s rights
A month ago, there was breakthrough in both sports and women’s rights in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For the first time, female students enrolled in private schools were allowed to play sports within campus. For the ultra-conservative kingdom this is definitely a radical move but it is proving to be just the first step in what now seems to be a series of changes in terms of expanding Saudi women’s rights. The move received praise from the international community, but conservatives in the country were quick to criticize the changes in policy.
Women’s participation in sports in the Kingdom is not just limited but close to non-existent. Those who were allowed to participate, the ones who study in private schools, could engage in sports but in very strict conditions.
Because of its strict policies with regard to sports and female athletes, Saudi Arabia even received pressure from the international community so that it would allow a couple of female athletes to participate in the last Summer Olympics. Two female Saudi athletes – a runner and a judoka (judo player) were allowed to compete in the London Games in 2012 with the body and heads covered according to Sharia law.
The fight goes on
Saudi women continue to push for their right to participate in more activities. And they are also fortifying the fight against domestic abuse. There is a current proposal for the criminalization of domestic violence. Last month, proponents of an anti-domestic abuse campaign were successful in publishing an advert in local newspapers.
Photo Credit: Department of Education Stadium (Unaizah)
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