The Saudi football federation said on Saturday it will launch the first edition of a women’s league on November 22.
Federation chairman Yasser Almisehal said the creation of a women’s league was “an important moment” for the federation, as women’s sports were long banned in conservative Saudi Arabia.
According to the federation, the new women’s league will be playing in two phases within the regional league.
Sixteen teams will take part in the first phase with games played in three cities — the capital Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.
Six teams from each region will play in the matches, with the exception of Dammam where only four teams will play.
Those who qualify will be able to play in a knockout competition at the Kingdom Final Championship due to be held early next year in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.
The November 22 launch is part of a program set up by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation in 2017 to support women’s football amid the new liberalization wave in the Saudi Kingdom that instituted a number of popular social reforms, and is now undertaking sweeping economic changes to address the country’s challenges.
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