In a first, women throng Saudi stadium for national day

RIYADH: Hundreds of women thronged a sports stadium for the first time to mark Saudi Arabia´s national day Saturday, celebrated across the conservative kingdom with a raucous display of concerts, folk dance and fireworks.

The presence of women at the King Fahd stadium marks a departure from previous celebrations in the Gulf kingdom where they are effectively barred from sports arenas by strict rules on public segregation of the sexes.

Women were allowed to enter the stadium, a previously male-only venue used mostly for football matches, with their families and seated separately from single men to watch a musical show and a play on Saudi history.

As a swell of enthusiastic women cheering swept through the stadium, with a few wearing colourful wigs on top of their veils, some Saudi men on social media lauded their participation as a "historic" moment.

Ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia has some of the world´s tightest restrictions on women and is the only country where they are not allowed to drive, despite ambitious government reforms aimed at boosting female employment.

Under the country´s guardianship system, a male family member -- normally the father, husband or brother -- must grant permission for a woman´s study, travel and other activities.

But the kingdom appears to be relaxing some norms as part of its "Vision 2030" plan for economic and social reforms conceived by powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The national day celebration coincides with a crucial time for Saudi Arabia, which is in a battle for regional influence with arch-rival Iran, bogged down in a controversial military intervention in neighbouring Yemen and at loggerheads with fellow US Gulf ally Qatar.

Iconic buildings in Riyadh were bathed in green light and stereos blared patriotic songs as revellers raced through the streets in cars bedecked with the national flag.
With drumming and poetry, traditional sword dancers celebrating the warrior tradition of Saudi Arabia strode through Tahlia Street, an upscale shopping strip in the heart of Riyadh.

Comments

N Korea´s foreign minister calls Trump´s UN address "sound of dog barking"

N Korea´s foreign minister calls Trump´s UN address "sound of dog barking" SEOUL: North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho called U. S. President Donald Trump´s address to the United Nations "the sound of a dog barking", brushing aside Trump´s remarks that the United States may be forced to "totally destroy" North Korea. "There is a saying that goes: ´Even when dogs bark, the parade goes on´," said Ri in televised remarks to reporters in front of a hotel near the United Nations headquarters in New York. "If (Trump) was thinking about surprising us with dog-barking sounds then he is clearly dreaming. "When asked by reporters what he thought of Trump calling North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "rocket man", Ri quipped, "I feel sorry for his aides. "Ri is slated to make a U. N. speech on Friday. His comments were the first official reaction from North Korea after Trump had issued his sternest warning yet t...

Unique home that sits on US-Canada border

Unique home that sits on US-Canada border TORONTO: Selling a home in two countries is proving to be a challenge for the owners as it requires security clearance from both Canada and the United States. A 1782 fixer-upper with thick granite walls, 1950s decor, and armed 24-hour security provided by both two big countries are one of the major attractions for the buyers. The almost 7,000-square-foot house, cut into five currently vacant apartments, is on a lot of less than a quarter-acre that, along with the building itself, straddles the border between Beebe Plain, Vermont, and Stanstead, Quebec. The structure that has an estimated rebuild cost of about $600,000, is on the market for $109,000. It's structurally sound but needs lots of work. An inside view shows tape on the floor upstairs to indicate which side belongs to Canada and the United States. The house was originally built by a merchant in order to facilitate sales to farmers in both Vermont and Quebec. It ...

Eye of Hurricane Maria makes landfall in Puerto Rico

Eye of Hurricane Maria makes landfall in Puerto Rico MIAMI: The eye of Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico early Wednesday, pummeling the island as a Category Four storm with lashing rain and winds of 155 miles (250 kilometers) per hour, the US National Hurricane Center said. The center of the storm came ashore near Yabucoa in southeastern Puerto Rico around 6:15 am (1015 GMT), the forecasters said. "The wind sounds like a woman screaming at the top of her lungs!" photographer and storm chaser Mike Theiss posted on Twitter early Wednesday. Puerto Rico was expected to bear the full brunt of the hurricane, which was forecast to rake across the length of the island. As of 6:35 am, Maria was moving northwest at 10 miles per hour.

Pakistan Daily Beast

Search This Blog