As Saudi Arabia is focusing on sports expansion, especially football, the country will be hosting its first-ever women’s 11-a-side international football tournament. The competition will be officiated by the Kingdom’s female referee Anoud al-Asmari who on Thursday, Jan. 5, made history by becoming the first Saudi female referee to be accredited by FIFA.
The tournament is being held at the Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium in Al Khobar, in the Eastern Region and it saw Saudi defeat Mauritius 1-0 in the opening match thanks to a goal from Myriam al-Tamimi, while Pakistan beat Comoros 1-0 after a goal from Anmol Hira.
Lamia Bahaian, Supervisor of the Women’s Football Department at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), said to Al Arabiya in a press statement that “It is an event that can play a big role in inspiring millions of young girls across the country and the Asian continent to become involved in the beautiful game.” With that in mind, Saudi Arabia is currently awaiting a decision on its bid to host the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup, which it recently submitted to the Asian Football Confederation in Kuala Lumpur.
This tournament comes as one of the goals of Vision 2030 which is the creation of professional sports and a sports industry that enables women to participate in various fields and sports. The vision is also set to generate employment for Saudis in the sports industry and enhance the quality of life of the citizens. It’s also important to note the economic diversity that Saudi Arabia aims to achieve away from the oil industry. Moreover, one of the SAFF’s main goals is clearly to push the development of the women’s first team, which was launched last year.