Saudi Arabia women in sports: Miles ahead five years on but still a lot more ground to cover
Sameera Aziz walks outdoors an hour a day, just like many of her friends. She sometimes takes advantage of the dedicated walking tracks, built especially for families, around Jeddah where she lives. “I am more comfortable and relaxed [exercising outdoors] than ever before. Life has become easier. I can now breathe,” the businessperson told Salaam Gateway.
The simple act of exercising outdoors was unimaginable a few years ago for women in Saudi Arabia. Today, they’re not just walking, cycling and jogging out in the open, women in the Kingdom are competing in national and international championships, and leading sports organizations.
Almost five years after the April 2016 launch of Vision 2030—Saudi Arabia’s big reform masterplan to move its economy away from its dependence on hydrocarbons—women have been thrust into socio-economic life across arenas, sports included.
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