Saudi Arabian girls to

be allowed to play

Saudi Arabian girls will finally be allowed

to play sports at school after the country’s

government announced new rules.

Girls will take part in physical education

classes from next year after previously being

banned from lessons.

The Saudi Shura Council, which advises

the government, had given its approval but

the decision was initially challenged by

conservative clerics who thought PE was

immodest.The Education Ministry confirmed

the changes on Tuesday, which had

been delayed since 2014.

Shura Council member Lina Almaeena

has spent a decade trying to get the rules

changed and was pleased when it finally

happened as part of the ‘Vision 2030’

programme, which hopes to modernise

the country.

‘I’m very happy with the issue of the decree

and this is a historic day for all Saudi girls

in the Kingdom,’ she told Arab News.

‘We don’t have the logistics, location or

setting and a decree such as this is not

as easy as many believe it is… [but] I’m

an optimist and rather than looking back,

we should all look forward.’

The attitude towards women’s rights in

Saudi Arabia is slowly changing.

Women are still required to get the permission

of a male guardian to do most things

but they were given the right to vote in 2015

and other progressive changes have

also been made.