New NEOM Report Highlights Women’s Football Growth in Saudi Arabia

Photo : SPA

NEOM, Saudi Arabia, along with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), has released a new report called *Pioneering Change: Women’s Football in Saudi Arabia*. This report talks about the growth of women’s football in Saudi Arabia, what has been done to help it grow, and the future of the sport.

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NEOM, which is the main partner for the first AFC Women’s Champions League, is dedicated to helping women’s football grow in Saudi Arabia and beyond. The report shows how much the sport has grown in the Kingdom and how it can help shape the future of sports in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, and Asia.

Women’s football in Saudi Arabia has played a big role in getting more women involved in sports, changing how society thinks about women in sports. It promotes fairness between genders, helps people stay healthy, and fits with Saudi Arabia’s goal of Saudi Vision 2030. Also, since Saudi Arabia will host the FIFA World Cup in 2034, the interest of women in football will only continue to grow.

Jan Paterson, Managing Director of NEOM Sport, explained how important the report is. “This report helps us understand where women’s football stands, what challenges we face, and what could happen in the future. It’s not just about football. It’s about opening more doors for women and showing how sports can impact people’s lives. Together with the AFC, we want to help women’s sports grow by telling the story of how people in Saudi Arabia are changing the game and empowering women,” she said.

The report is the result of teamwork, with help from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), the Saudi Ministry of Sport (MoS), the Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA), the AFC, and others. It talks about how more and more women have been getting involved in football between 2022 and 2023. Some important milestones in the last six years include the launch of the Saudi Women’s Premier League, the creation of the Women’s National Team, the appointment of women in leadership positions, and the Kingdom getting its first FIFA world ranking. The report also looks at how youth programs, leadership, coaching, investments in facilities, and growing the sport as a business are helping women’s football grow.

Aalia Abdulaziz AlRasheed, Head of Women’s Football at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, spoke about how proud she is of how far women’s football in Saudi Arabia has come. “It has been a great journey over the past six years since we set up a special women’s football department at SAFF. With Saudi Vision 2030 guiding us, we are so proud of the progress we’ve made. We now have four national teams, five football competitions, 77,000 girls playing in our Schools League, six regional training centers for girls, and many coaching and refereeing programs. It’s been amazing to watch,” she said.

She added that the goal of women’s football in Saudi Arabia is clear. “We want to inspire and give more girls in the country a chance to show their talents and love for football. This journey has inspired millions, not just in Saudi Arabia but around the world. We are not doing this by ourselves. We already have 62 partnerships with other federations to help develop women’s football. Today, 60 international players from 20 countries play in our leagues, and they’re helping us on this journey. We’re in exciting times, and there’s a lot more to come from women’s football in Saudi Arabia.”

The report shows how far women’s football has come in Saudi Arabia, with a bright future ahead. Thanks to NEOM, the AFC, and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, the Kingdom is making women’s football stronger and setting an example for the world.