Editing Saudi Arabia (section)

=== Sport ===
{{Main|Sport in Saudi Arabia}}{{see also|Saudi Arabia at the Olympics}}
[[File:King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 2014.jpg|thumb|left|[[King Fahd International Stadium]] in [[Riyadh]].]]
[[Football in Saudi Arabia|Football]] is the national sport in Saudi Arabia. The [[Saudi Arabia national football team]] is considered one of Asia's most successful national teams, having reached a joint record six [[AFC Asian Cup]] finals, winning three of those finals ([[1984 AFC Asian Cup final|1984]], [[1988 AFC Asian Cup final|1988]], and [[1996 AFC Asian Cup final|1996]]) and [[Saudi Arabia at the FIFA World Cup|having qualified for the World Cup]] four consecutive times ever since debuting at the 1994 tournament. In the [[1994 FIFA World Cup]] under the leadership of [[Jorge Solari]], Saudi Arabia beat both Belgium and Morocco in the group stage before failing to defeat Sweden in the round of 16. During the [[1992 King Fahd Cup|1992 FIFA Confederations Cup]], which was played in Saudi Arabia, the country reached the [[1992 King Fahd Cup Final|final]], losing 1–3 to Argentina.

Scuba diving, windsurfing, sailing, and basketball (which is played by both men and women) are also popular with the [[Saudi Arabia national basketball team|Saudi Arabian national basketball team]] winning bronze at the [[1999 ABC Championship|1999 Asian Championship]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.saudiembassy.net/files/PDF/Publications/Magazine/1998-Winter/slamdunk.htm |title=Saudi Arabian Slam Dunk, Fall 1997, Winter 1998, Volume 14, Number 4, Saudi Arabia |publisher=Saudiembassy.net |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111028000423/http://saudiembassy.net/files/PDF/Publications/Magazine/1998-Winter/slamdunk.htm |archive-date=28 October 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Joud |last=Al |url=http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article463435.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120102128/http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article463435.ece |archive-date=20 January 2012 |title=Saudi women show greater interest in sports and games |newspaper=Arab News }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Todor |last=Krastev |url=http://todor66.com/basketball/Asia/Men_1999.html |title=Men Basketball Asia Championship 1999 Fukuoka (JPN)- 28.08–05.09 Winner China |publisher=Todor66.com |date=21 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118115942/http://todor66.com/basketball/Asia/Men_1999.html |archive-date=18 January 2012 }}</ref> More traditional sports such as [[horse racing]] and [[camel racing]] are also popular. The annual King's Camel Race, begun in 1974, is one of the sport's most important contests and attracts animals and riders from throughout the region. [[Falconry]] is another traditional pursuit.<ref name="Britannica" />

[[File:Sarah Attar Rio2016.jpg|thumb|right|[[Sarah Attar]] competing at the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] as one of the first two females representing Saudi Arabia|232x232px]]
[[Women's sport in Saudi Arabia|Women's sport]] is controversial because of the suppression of female participation in sport by conservative Islamic religious authorities,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.arabianbusiness.com/saudi-women-push-for-right-play-sports-447831.html |title=Saudi women push for right to play sports – Sport |newspaper=Arabian Business |publisher=ArabianBusiness.com |date= 1 March 2012}}</ref> however the restrictions have eased.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabia-opens-first-sports-centre-for-women-1.1192220 |title=Saudi Arabia opens first sports centre for women|publisher=GulfNews.com |date=3 June 2013 |access-date=28 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/05/world/meast/saudi-arabia-girls-sports |title=Saudi government sanctions sports in some girls' schools |publisher=CNN |date= 5 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Saudi Arabia: No women on Asian Games Team|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/09/17/saudi-arabia-no-women-asian-games-team|website=Human Rights Watch|date=18 September 2014}}</ref> Until 2018 women were not permitted in sport stadiums. Segregated seating, allowing women to enter, has been developed in three stadiums across major cities.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Grinberg and Hallam|first1=Emanuella and Jonny|title=Saudi Arabia to let women into sports stadiums|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/29/middleeast/saudi-arabia-women-sports-arenas/index.html|website=CNN/2017/10/29/middleeast/saudi-arabia-women-sports-arenas/index.html|date=30 October 2017|publisher=CNN|access-date=11 December 2017}}</ref> Since 2020, the progress of women's integration into the Saudi sport scene began to develop rapidly.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-05 |title=Empowered through sports, Saudi females take the sector by storm |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/views/2021/12/05/Empowered-through-sports-Saudi-females-take-the-sector-by-storm |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=Al Arabiya English |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-08 |title=Saudi women's sport grows by leaps and bounds |url=https://arab.news/2pd2a |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=Arab News |language=en}}</ref> 25 Saudi sport federations established a national women's team,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Female athletes change the game in Saudi |url=https://www.visitsaudi.com/en/do/lifestyle/female-athletes-change-the-game-in-saudi |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=www.visitsaudi.com |language=en}}</ref> including a national [[Saudi Arabia women's national football team|football]] and [[Saudi Arabia women's national basketball team|basketball team]]. In November 2020, the [[Saudi Arabian Football Federation]] announced the launch of the first nationwide [[Saudi Women's Premier League|Saudi women's premier league]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saudi Arabia stages first-ever nationwide women's league |url=https://www.fifa.com/womens-football/news/origin1904-p.cxm.fifa.comsaudi-arabia-stages-first-ever-nationwide-womens-league |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=www.fifa.com |language=en}}</ref>

In its vision for modernization, the nation has introduced many international sporting events, bringing sports stars to the kingdom. However, in August 2019, the kingdom's strategy received criticism for appearing as a method of [[Sportswashing in Saudi Arabia|sportswashing]] soon after Saudi's US-based 2018 lobbying campaign foreign registration documentations got published online. The documents showed Saudi Arabia as allegedly implementing a sportswashing strategy, including meetings and official calls with authorities of associations like [[Major League Soccer]], [[WWE in Saudi Arabia|World Wrestling Entertainment]], and the [[National Basketball Association]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/sep/02/sportswashing-saudi-arabia-sports-mohammed-bin-salman|title=Sportswashing: how Saudi Arabia lobbies the US's largest sports bodies|access-date=2 September 2019|website=The Guardian|date=2 September 2019}}</ref>

In December 2024, Saudi Arabia was confirmed as host of the [[2034 FIFA World Cup]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=MacInnes |first=Paul |date=2024-12-11 |title=Saudi Arabia confirmed as 2034 World Cup host despite human rights concerns |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/dec/11/saudi-arabia-confirmed-as-2034-world-cup-host-despite-human-rights-concerns |access-date=2024-12-11 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Developments of stadiums to be used for the event are ongoing. There are reportedly 11 new stadiums being built and airports are scheduled to be expanded to accommodate the expected influx of passengers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cqqlnel9z32o|title=Saudi 2034 plans include stadium 350m above ground|website=BBC|date=2024-08-01|access-date=2024-11-24}}</ref>