Women allowed into stadium as Saudi Arabia promotes national pride

T-Mag Saturday 23/September/2017 22:00 PM
By: Times News Service
Women allowed into stadium as Saudi Arabia promotes national pride

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia is celebrating the 87th anniversary of its foundation this weekend with a big programme of concerts and performances, including a pageant operetta on Saturday evening which will allow women to enter the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh for the first time.
The festivities are part of a government move to boost national pride and improve the quality of life for Saudis.
Also on offer is a concert in the Red Sea city of Jeddah featuring 11 Arab musicians, plus fireworks, air acrobatics and traditional folk dance shows.
"It is the first time I have come to the stadium and I feel like more of a Saudi citizen. Now I can go everywhere in my country," said 25-year-old Sultana, green and white flags painted on both cheeks as she entered the complex with her girlfriends.
"God willing, tomorrow women will be permitted bigger and better things like driving and travel."
Dozens of families entered the stadium -- where top football matches are held -- through a separate gate from single men. They cheered, flashed peace signs and waved green Saudi flags.
The events are the latest entertainment sponsored by the government as part of the Vision 2030 reform programme launched two years ago to diversify the economy away from oil, create whole new sectors to employ young citizens and open up Saudis' cloistered lifestyles.
The operetta on Saturday will tell the story of the founding of the modern Saudi state by Ibn Saud, King Salman's father, following a series of territorial conquests and eight years before the discovery of oil opened the way to making the new kingdom the world's top oil exporter.
Companies from telecoms operators to furniture stores have launched patriotic-themed marketing campaigns offering discounts for the holiday weekend.
Um Abdulrahm Al Shihri, who came from Tabuk, 1,100 km (685 miles) northwest of Riyadh, to enter the stadium, said she hoped in the future women would be able to attend football matches and other public festivities which were traditionally the reserve of men.
The General Entertainment Authority, the government agency organising the National Day festivities, expects some 1.5 million Saudis to attend events in 17 cities over four days.
Vision 2030 reforms are intended to capture up to a quarter of the $20 billion currently spent overseas by Saudis, who are accustomed to travelling abroad to see shows and visit amusement parks in nearby tourist hub Dubai or further afield.
This weekend's events, though, are free to the public.
Issa Daghiri, attending the operetta in Riyadh with his wife and children, said he was encouraged by the acceptance of families at the stadium, which holds about 40,000 spectators.
"We had hoped for this for a while and now the opportunity has come," he said. "Each year that passes, the kingdom develops.