Saudi female football fans at UK match create social media buzz

The rare sight of Saudi women football fans at a London stadium match between the kingdom’s supercup rivals al-Hilal and al-Nasr on Wednesday caused a buzz on social media.

The women were among thousands of fans who converged in West London to watch the rival clubs battle it out for the first time outside of the Gulf Arab Kingdom. Al-Hilal won against Al-Nasir by one goal.

While some hardliners and conservatives were critical of the sight of the women - who back home are not allowed to watch live games in stadiums - many others expressed support, saying that this was an example of a joyful, well-organized event which showed a positive face of Saudi Arabia.