Separate Section for Women at Football Stadiums Urged P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News JEDDAH, 29 September 2007 — The majority of soccer fans in the Kingdom have demanded separate seating arrangements for women at stadiums across the country to help them watch live football matches.A survey conducted by an Arabic daily on the issue showed that 51 percent of participants wanted such seating arrangements for women while 49 percent opposed the idea.Six percent of some 300 participants, aged between 17 and 65, wanted enclosed areas for families at stadiums. The participants included university students and employees of banks, companies and government departments.The survey is significant as a large number of Saudi women follow football matches like their male counterparts. Their number is growing year after year, especially after the participation of Saudi soccer teams in international football tournaments.Opponents argue the attendance of women at football stadium would open the floodgates of evil and immorality. Many of them do not like women watching football. They do not believe that watching matches at stadiums is a right of women.“Several television stations are providing good coverage of football matches. So women need not go to stadiums to watch them. They can watch them sitting comfortably in their homes,” one opponent said.Supporters said giving women access to stadiums would stem the phenomenon of them assembling at markets and coffee shops to watch football matches.Iman Aseeri, a secondary school girl student and a Hilal team fan, said she strongly supported the idea women being allowed to watch football matches at stadiums. “There is nothing wrong in it and our religion and culture do not disapprove such an idea.”Aseeri believes that her presence at the stadium would make her closer to the event and interact with it in a more enthusiastic way. But Huda Al-Qahtani of King Khaled University, said she did not favor the idea and for her it is a waste of time.Mahara Abdullah Ali, an intermediate school teacher, supported the idea and believed that it would help teenage girls and women to ease their tension caused by some social problems. However, she insisted that the seating arrangements for women at stadiums should be made in accordance with Shariah and Saudi customs.Um Abdullah, a bank employee, favored the idea. But her main concern is security and wants police to give extra protection for women at stadiums. “If we are not safe from hooligans at market places, how can we expect it at stadiums,” she asked. Nouf Fahd, a hospital administrator in Alkhobar, strongly supported the proposal, saying it would help women to relax and enjoy in the open air like their men folk and support their favorite teams. Arab News.There is still so many places where a women in Saudia Arabia is banned from. Guess for which reason ?//en.yabiladi.com/topics/sexism-football-44-2100788-2100788.html#msg-2100788 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 18:12:01 +0200 Phorum 5.2.15