Saudi Arabia will for the first time allow women to attend sports events, preparing special sections in three selected stadiums from early next year in another step towards opening public spaces to women.

The stadiums in Jeddah, Dammam and Riyadh will be set up to accommodate families from early 2018, said a statement by the General Sports Authority.

Last month Saudi Arabia announced that, from June, women would be allowed to drive cars, ending the world's only ban on female driving.

An economic and social reform programme led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz aims to open up cloistered lifestyles that limit the role of women. Prince Mohammed also seeks to diversify the economy away from oil as part of his proposed reforms.

Source: Khaleej Times