[1] In 2013 Saudi Arabia’s first dedicated sports centre for girls was opened in Jeddah, offering training programs that include physical fitness, karate, yoga and weight loss as well as special activities for children.
[8] In 2019 Saudi Arabia hosted the first open format curling tournament ever held in Africa or the Middle East.
The event took place at the Funland Bowling & Ice Skating Centre in Manama, Bahrain, on October 11–12, 2019.
Despite the losses, being the first women to represent their country in the Olympics is considered an overall success for the participants, and Attar received a standing ovation as she pursued the finish line from the audience in London.
She reports seeing positive changes during her visits to Saudi Arabia as a result of her participation, with female students becoming more interested in sport.
[12] Saudi Arabia sent four athletes to the Rio Olympics, with Attar competing in the marathon, Kariman Abuljadayel, a student at Northeastern University,[14] in the 100m, Joud Fahmy in judo, and Lubna Al-Omair in fencing.
Fahmy pulled out of the judo before competing, in an apparent effort to avoid fighting Israeli competitor Gili Cohen, although this was denied by the Saudi delegation.
[20] Jeddah United provides an environment where males, females, children, and adults can all participate in sporting activities.
[19] Their long term goal is to produce top class athletes that can compete on a professional level throughout the country, and on the world stage.
FIFA changed their rules in 2012 to allow players to wear a hijab during FIFA-sanctioned matches, but Saudi authorities declined to comment.
[24] In 2022, the Saudi Arabia women's national football team made their international debut, defeating Seychelles by a score of 2–0 in a friendly match located in Malé, Maldives.