Saudi women are set to take part in the GCC Women’s Games to be held in the UAE in March 2010, the Saudi Gazette reported on Thursday.
The kingdom does not allow women to take part in the Olympics or other major sporting events, and there is no federation that organises women’s sport, but there are moves to change this, the newspaper added.
Organisers of the GCC Women's Games have introduced show jumping so that Saudi women can take part.
"We refused to hold the event without seeing the Saudi flag raised alongside the others," said Ahlam al-Maane, head of the women's sports committee and member of the GCC Executive Council for Women's Sport.
In state-run girls' schools physical education is still banned, but Mecca's Prince Khaled al-Faisal recently said he hoped schools would allow playing fields.
And there have been a number of women's sporting teams formed, the newspaper added.