The Greatest Royal Rumble and the Issue of Women Competing in the Middle East

So, the Greatest Royal Rumble has been announced and it sounds like a great card, but one of the things that was noticed immediately was that there were no Women’s Division matches, there seemed to be confusion and outrage over this because Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss had wrestled in Abu Dhabi to great acclaim, marking the first time the the WWE Women’s Division had been allowed to have a match in the Middle East. So, why aren’t they being allowed to work at the Greatest Royal Rumble?  Well, the answer is a little complicated, and it has nothing to do how good or bad the Women’s Royal Rumble was back in January.

It’s important to understand that the Middle East, though predominantly Muslim, is a diverse region. Each country has its own history, culture, traditions, and its own position on women’s place in society.

Most countries in the Middle East do allow women to compete in sports of some kind, usually soccer/football, sometimes basketball, and track and field, though it varies from country to country. Several countries send teams to the Olympics that include women, Iran recently started doing this, the flagbearer for the Iran 2018 Winter Olympics team was a woman. Though I will admit that how much they are actually encouraged to participate in sports is a bigger question.

Saudi Arabia is the only country in the region that does not outright allow women to compete in sports. Girls are allowed access to sports in private schools, but not in public schools. Women have been allowed to compete in the Olympics. Jeddah, where The Greatest Royal Rumble is being staged has started up a running collective for women and a basketball team, that a few other cities have joined in, and a department for women’s sports has been started and is headed by a female member of the royal family.However, Saudi Arabia is the most conservative country in the region, and it considers itself the bastion of the faith. It is also important to understand that while most women in Saudi Arabia do NOT consider themselves oppressed, changes are being made to give them more rights, though the changes have been way too slow for activists in and out of the kingdom.

So, why were Sasha and Alexa allowed to compete in Abu Dhabi? Abu Dhabi is in the United Arab Emirates, which is a conservative country, but Abu Dhabi is a little more tolerant, and invited them to compete. In order to do so, they were required to wear bodysuits that covered them from their collarbones to their ankles and down to their wrists. There was some controversy among American fans about this, but the pay off was that, not only was the match great, the crowd loved it. According to Stephanie and other people who were there, the crowd was chanting ‘This is hope’ during the match. It is also important to remember that Sasha and Alexa willingly complied with the request and were thrilled to be given that opportunity.

Which brings us back to the situation in Saudi Arabia with the women not being allowed to compete. No, they can’t compete…yet, and yes, it sucks, BUT women have started being allowed into sports stadiums in Saudi Arabia and Jeddah is a little more permissive than, say, Riyadh, the capital. Think about this, if women in Saudi Arabia are allowed to see this live, it could start a conversation and lead to a day where women are allowed to compete in Saudi Arabia.