Women allowed to watch soccer match

Riyadh: Saudi authorities have made an exception for Swedish female soccer fans who live in the kingdom: they were allowed to attend a friendly soccer match between Sweden and Saudi Arabia in Riyadh last night, the director of the Saudi football league said.

Normally women are not allowed to mix with men in public in Saudi Arabia. "We have made an exception for Swedish women so they can attend the game," Saudi league director Faisal Abdul Hadi said. "They will be seated in a separate section in the stadium and allowed to watch the game but they will not be allowed to mingle with the Saudi crowd," Abdul Hadi said.

According to the Swedish Football Association, Christer Nilsson of the Swedish embassy in Riyadh had contacted Saudi authorities following protests in Sweden last week. "The football stadium where the game will be played is open for everyone who wants to see the match, and that is also true for Saudi women," he was told on Tuesday.