2026/03/12 by Kyra Margarete Angerer, Abdulelah Alnogemi
Social Sciences · #Socioeconomic Development in MENA #Sports, Gender, and Society #Gender Diversity and Inequality
paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/01436597.2026.2629597
This paper examines the pivotal role of female fandom in the processes of social change in Saudi Arabia. As part of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative, women were permitted to enter stadiums for the first time in 2018. This study aims to trace the historical development of Saudi female fandom and analyse its contribution to sociocultural transformation under Vision 2030. Archival material on female fandom was collected and reviewed, and interviews were conducted with eight Saudi women who attended men’s Saudi Pro League matches in 2024. These interviews explored the motivations, agency, and formation of their fan identities. The study identifies four interrelated dynamics illustrating both the historical trajectory of female fandom and the broader transformation of gender relations in Saudi Arabia. Despite its historical marginalisation, evidence from the 1950s indicates that women’s engagement with football is not a recent phenomenon. Contemporary fandom has evolved into a collective identity that reshapes gendered spaces within football. This transformation reflects a shift from private, and either local or global practices towards public, predominantly localised participation, thereby enhancing women’s visibility. Ultimately, football emerges as a critical space through which to interpret the renegotiation of gender norms, as women employ fandom to practice agency.