{
  "id": 16190209,
  "title": "Women's soccer goes from bans to stadiums in Saudi",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/womens-soccer-goes-from-bans-to-stadiums-in-saudi",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-23T12:26:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Semafor",
    "slug": "semafor",
    "url": "https://www.semafor.com/article/10/23/2026/womens-soccer-goes-from-stadium-bans-to-half-a-million-dollar-prizes-in-saudi"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Eight years ago, Saudi women were forbidden from attending football matches. However, things have changed drastically for the better. Bayan Sadagah, who established an amateur team in Jeddah in 2017 due to the lack of a proper venue, now dons the jersey of Al-Ittihad in a state-backed professional league, as reported by Bloomberg. The prize money has surged fourfold since the Saudi Women’s Premier League began in 2022, with Riyadh’s Al-Nassr club earning 2 million riyals ($531,000) for their championship victory in the previous season. Although these earnings are still a far cry from the men's league, the clubs are attracting foreign players with tax-free salaries and numerous expat benefits. Despite the increased prize money, the stadium attendance remains modest; Al-Ittihad's English defender Ashleigh Plumptre has been leading school field trips to the games. Nevertheless, there is a glimmer of optimism: American tech investor Ben Harburg, who acquired Al Kholood last year, is contemplating a potential investment in a women's club, expressing his belief that the women's game has the potential to surpass the men's league in the future.",
  "summary": "While the paydays are still well short of those in the men’s league, clubs are luring foreign players with tax-free salaries and expat perks.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}