Saudi Arabia to Offer Physical Education Classes to Girls For First Time

For the first time, Saudi public schools are preparing to begin girls physical education classes.

On Tuesday the Saudi Education ministry announced that P.E for girls would begin in the coming academic year. Classes will begin gradually from September, to allow for appropriately qualified teachers to be found and to ensure that the correct facilities are available.  

Female sport can be a controversial topic in the conservative kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as some religious leaders deem it immodest and some have claimed that it is as a result of ‘westernization”.  In some quarters, women are even banned from watching sport in which men participate.

“I’m very happy with the issue of the decree and this is a historic day for all Saudi girls in the Kingdom,” said Lina Almaeena, a Shura Council member who has worked for over 10 years to implement sports for girls .

Recently there has been a notable loosening of the laws that entrench gender inequality. In 2015 Saudi women won the right to vote and King Salaman has promised that further reforms can be expected in coming years as part of the ‘Vision 2030’ reforms that are designed to modernize the Kingdom.

However, schools  remain segregated by gender and women are still banned from driving.