Stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema have taken men’s football in Saudi Arabia to the next level, the country was already an Asian powerhouse and home to some of the biggest and most successful men’s clubs on the continent.

However, rapid progress is also being made in women’s football, although this is a field that is just getting off the ground.

Five years ago, women’s football in Saudi Arabia didn’t exist in a meaningful way, but a league has been created to boost female participation in sport in a country where women’s rights are restricted.

Its women’s national team – who played their first game just last year – is aiming to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, while it is bidding to host the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup. Moreover, the Saudi Women’s Premier League will begin its new season on Friday.

Despite reforms, activists say there is still much to be done regarding women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, while human rights groups claim sport is being used by the Saudi government to distract from long-standing reputation problems and accuse it of ‘sportswashing’ by investing in high-profile events.

Meanwhile, those involved in growing women’s football in the country are looking forward to the future.

She plays for Jeddah club Al-Ittihad and the national team, and she says the thought of representing her country at the World Cup excites her.

We would be crazy if we qualified, it would be a dream come true. We will face whatever challenges come our way. There is still a lot we can accomplish.”

It was only in 2018 that women were allowed into stadiums, and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) set up a division for women the following year.

She coached for 11 years in Germany, Qatar, and Bahrain before being promoted to become SAFF’s technical director for women’s football.