A few days ago I was surprised to receive a message from a friend asking whether any of the soccer clubs in the country would be interested in sponsoring her friend, a Saudi woman who is currently training abroad. Her dream is to play for an established club in her home country. She grew up hearing about boys being discovered while playing soccer in schools or at tournaments and offered sponsorship, and now that is what she dreams of for her own future. Could Saudi sports clubs make her dream, and the dreams of other women, come true? Now that such clubs now have female board members and financial supporters, is it time for women to start supporting new female talent? Could it be time, too, for businesses to offer sponsorship and help raise awareness about women’s health and sports? Would female spectators not love to see their peers giving their best and becoming role models for their gender? This a growing sector around the world. According to a recent article published by Forbes, research by sports marketing agency Two Circles found that attendances at women’s sports in the UK have grown by 38 percent year-on-year since 2013. The number of fans attending elite women’s sporting events in the UK is set to hit 682,000, a 49 percent increase compared with 2017. In 2014, the number of amateur and professional sports clubs for men in the Kingdom was 155, spread across 13 provinces. They covered a variety of sports including soccer, basketball, weightlifting and martial arts. For women, it was a very different story. Their only sporting options were to join a private fitness center or gym, an informal club created by a group of friends, or to represent a school or university team. Now, thanks to increasing government support, Saudi women can get professional training and support from their sports federation. In addition, an official decree in 2018 allowing the inclusion of women in sports opened the door for the establishment of governmental sports clubs to nurture talent. Such clubs now offer women similar opportunities to those available as men, and allow them to represent their clubs in local and international tournaments. Al-Ittihad club in Jeddah, for example, has signed a five-year contract with 13-year-old Yara Al-Hagbani, along with her brothers Ammar, 21, and Saud, 16, all of whom play tennis. The siblings previously played in the US and have won many medals, but now they can represent a Saudi club that has taken responsibility for their training and participation in international competitions. Their agreement with Yara is thought to be the first of its kind by a Saudi sports club. It is important to note that the rules and regulations of the General Sports Authority (GSA) have never prevented clubs from signing contracts with female athletes. It is up to each club to decide to whom sponsorship is offered. The GSA is working on new regulations to allow females to register with local clubs. I believe Al-Ittihad’s initiative will serve as an example to many other sports clubs, encouraging them to open up great new opportunities for women to represent their club and country, and gain the support, supervision and professional training they need. In addition, there are many sports, such as bowling, billiards and equestrian events, that are not adequately supported by Saudi clubs and now is the time to put that right. I remember a mother once told me about her experience when she took her daughter to a commercial gym that claimed to offer basic gymnastics training. “There were no levels, progress or professional supervision,” she said. “I had no way of knowing whether my daughter was doing well or not. I would definitely prefer to enroll her at a professional sports institute rather than these commercial venues.” This is why the role of sports clubs is crucial, now more than ever. Al-Ittihad took a courageous step forward; hopefully, other clubs interested in nurturing talent and delivering medals will do the same. This requires a long-term investment in our nation’s youth — but they deserve it. It is the first step in creating pioneering sporting role models who will attract the next generation of Saudi sportsmen and sportswomen.