Saudi Women

The Saudi Arabia with strict gender segregation, tough Islamic laws, and dress codes, no longer exists. The country's women are now truly in the drivers seat.

The women's tennis tour (WTA) on Monday announced "a multi-year partnership" with the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund (PIF), emulating a deal made by the men's tour (ATP) in February.

Saudi Arabia held its first fashion show featuring swimsuit models on Friday, an envelope-pushing step in a country where less than a decade ago women were required to wear body-covering abaya robes.

Ace women's table tennis player Manika Batra rose to a career-best singles ranking of 24 following her success in the Saudi Smash, becoming the first Indian woman paddler to break into the top-25 in world rankings.

Amnesty International called on Saudi Arabia to free a 29-year-old fitness instructor it says has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for her choice of clothing and social media posts urging an end to the kingdom's male guardianship system.

Three women military officials -- Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth, Colonel Ponung Doming and Lt Commander Annu Prakash -- are among the personnel representing India at the World Defence Show in Riyadh.

The decision by Saudi Arabia to allow alcohol sales to non-Muslim diplomats, according to two sources, is the latest in a series of reforms aimed at projecting a more open, moderate image.

After being banned in some Arab countries, the film "Barbie" is dividing audiences in the conservative Gulf.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday thanked the Saudi Arabia government for making changes in the Haj policy and said due to this change, over 4,000 Muslim women from India performed Haj without 'mehram' (male companion).

Millions of men, women and children have converged on Mecca this week for the Hajj pilgrimage. The Saudi government says it will be the largest crowd ever for the pilgrimage.

Prize money at the upcoming Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will be triple that at the last edition in 2019, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced on Thursday, as he also revealed Saudi Arabia's tourist board will not sponsor the tournament.

Two 48-year-old men, one Indian and one Bangladeshi, have been ordered to pay a total of approximately Rs 90,18,436 (AED 400,000) for causing the death of two Saudi women in a road accident in Dubai in July.

In a video project dedicated to young people in the Middle East, where more than half of the population is under 30, AFP interviewed women from Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Qatar and Bahrain.

A Saudi woman has been jailed for 45 years for her social media posts, a rights group said citing court documents, marking the second such case in weeks.

A Saudi court has sentenced a woman to 34 years in prison over her Twitter activity, according to court documents seen by AFP on Wednesday.

The Saudi Arabia with strict gender segregation, tough Islamic laws, and dress codes, no longer exists. The country's women are now truly in the drivers seat.

The women's tennis tour (WTA) on Monday announced "a multi-year partnership" with the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund (PIF), emulating a deal made by the men's tour (ATP) in February.

Saudi Arabia held its first fashion show featuring swimsuit models on Friday, an envelope-pushing step in a country where less than a decade ago women were required to wear body-covering abaya robes.

Ace women's table tennis player Manika Batra rose to a career-best singles ranking of 24 following her success in the Saudi Smash, becoming the first Indian woman paddler to break into the top-25 in world rankings.

Amnesty International called on Saudi Arabia to free a 29-year-old fitness instructor it says has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for her choice of clothing and social media posts urging an end to the kingdom's male guardianship system.

Three women military officials -- Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth, Colonel Ponung Doming and Lt Commander Annu Prakash -- are among the personnel representing India at the World Defence Show in Riyadh.

The decision by Saudi Arabia to allow alcohol sales to non-Muslim diplomats, according to two sources, is the latest in a series of reforms aimed at projecting a more open, moderate image.

After being banned in some Arab countries, the film "Barbie" is dividing audiences in the conservative Gulf.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday thanked the Saudi Arabia government for making changes in the Haj policy and said due to this change, over 4,000 Muslim women from India performed Haj without 'mehram' (male companion).

Millions of men, women and children have converged on Mecca this week for the Hajj pilgrimage. The Saudi government says it will be the largest crowd ever for the pilgrimage.

Prize money at the upcoming Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will be triple that at the last edition in 2019, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced on Thursday, as he also revealed Saudi Arabia's tourist board will not sponsor the tournament.

Two 48-year-old men, one Indian and one Bangladeshi, have been ordered to pay a total of approximately Rs 90,18,436 (AED 400,000) for causing the death of two Saudi women in a road accident in Dubai in July.

In a video project dedicated to young people in the Middle East, where more than half of the population is under 30, AFP interviewed women from Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Qatar and Bahrain.

A Saudi woman has been jailed for 45 years for her social media posts, a rights group said citing court documents, marking the second such case in weeks.

A Saudi court has sentenced a woman to 34 years in prison over her Twitter activity, according to court documents seen by AFP on Wednesday.