Saudi women enter stadium for first time to watch soccer

For the first time, women in Saudi Arabia entered a sports stadium to watch a soccer match between two local teams in Jeddah.

However, the women were segregated in the stands from the male-only crowd with designated seating in the so-called "family section" at King Abdullah Sports City stadium, ABC News reported.

This easing of the strict gender segregation was announced in October 2017, as a part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's ambitious reforms to modernise Saudi society and boost the economy.

The order opened the previously male-only venues of King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, and Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam to accommodate families.

The Saudi General Sports Authority said that it had made all the necessary preparations to create an attractive sports environment for families and to ensure their privacy.

Saudi Arabia, which was the only country in the world to forbid female drivers, last year also allowed women to drive in the country.