Saudi Arabia’s first-ever Women’s Football League tournament kicked off on Tuesday with 24 teams across Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam competing for a championship cup and a cash prize of $133,000.

According to reports, more than 600 players are competing in the tournament. The teams will have to win matches in their local cities to qualify for the nationwide championship stage.

However, the matches of the championship won’t be televised.

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Seven matches took place in the capital Riyadh and the Red Sea city of Jeddah on the opening day of the Saudi Women’s Football League (WFL), which had been due to kick off in March but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was only in 2018 that Saudi authorities first allowed women to watch football matches in stadiums.

Meanwhile, the first international women’s golf tournament also took place in Saudi Arabia this week.

The step is the part of one of many reforms happening in Saudi Arabia under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Several social reforms including concerts, movie theaters, a lift on the ban on women driving have been introduced in the ultraconservative kingdom in a bid to improve its reputation.