Why entering stadiums is a matter of joy for Saudi families

Why should Saudi families not be overjoyed to enter stadiums? I come from a family in which my uncles were captains of the Al-Ittihad football team. They played in games I never had the chance to watch because they were not filmed those days in the late 1960s.

For many years, I heard about the skill, performance and achievements of my father and uncles on the pitch through word of mouth. I attend football matches abroad with my family but have never done so here in the Kingdom. I have attended matches in which the Saudi national team has played abroad, but never in Saudi Arabia.

I attended, as a sport reporter, Saudi volleyball and water polo finals in 2008. However, these events took place in closed rooms behind opaque glass screens so no one would know a female was there.

I used to watch matches on TV and then telephone players for quotes after the final whistle. I knew deep inside that this would change. I just did not know that I would get the chance to watch a football match with my father and his grandchildren at a club that we have been supporting from one generation to another.

This is not just a dream come true, it is history breaking tradition and culture in a very promising way. This is a result of Vision 2030. The nature of Saudi culture evolves around being there for each other and supporting each family member. In simple words, family always comes first.

When the decision was announced this year to allow families to enter stadiums in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam, the number of spectators doubled. Al-Riyadiyah, for example, said this week that the number of spectators in the Saudi football league had risen from 32,244 in the 16th round to 61,441 in the 17th.

This does not only mean extra attendance, but also new areas of investment that would help the economy. We could see more kiosks, restaurants and children friendly attractions that families could visit before and after matches.

London, for example, built a new Olympic park to host the London 2012 Summer Olympics. The goal was to host the games but it also resulted in regenerating the East End of London and giving prominence to sports. It also created many jobs, increased the rate of rent in the area and helped in providing a kind of legacy to local people, not to mention a decrease in the rate of crime.

That is why it might be just a football game for some, but for us it is a new window of opportunities and a way of sharing additional quality time with family. This is a time for families, siblings and parents to bond. This is how sports bring us together and that is what we are proud of and happy to see in Saudi Arabia.