Saudi Arabia will allow women to enter a football stadium for the first time to watch a match Friday, as the ultra-conservative kingdom eases strict decades-old rules separating the sexes.
The new measure comes after Riyadh, long known for imposing harsh restrictions on women, announced it was lifting a ban prohibiting them from driving as well as reopening cinemas.
The Islamic kingdom has announced a series of reforms initiated by powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman since last year.
The first football match that women will be allowed to attend is a clash on Friday between Saudi Premier League clubs Al-Ahli and Al-Batin in the Red Sea city of Jeddah. The game is scheduled to kick off at 8:00 pm, but enthusiasm for the historic encounter has begun well before the referee's whistle is blown.
Lamya Khaled Nasser, a 32-year-old soccer fan from Jeddah, said she was proud and looking forward to attending the match.
"This event proves that we are heading for a prosperous future. I am very proud to be a witness of this massive change," she told AFP.
Ruwayda Ali Qassem, another Jeddah resident, described the match as a "historic day in the kingdom which culminates ongoing fundamental changes".
"I am proud and extremely happy for this development and for the kingdom's moves to catch up with civilised measures adopted by many countries," she said.
The Saudi government said last week that women would be allowed to attend a second match on Saturday and a third next Thursday.
Earlier, in September, hundreds of women were allowed to enter a sports stadium in the capital Riyadh, used mostly for football matches, for the first time to attend celebrations marking Saudi Arabia's national day.
