The Ministry of Education is preparing 1,000 schools around the country where women can exercise and interact socially, said Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah, Minister of Education. In an interview broadcast on Saudi Sports TV Channel on Monday, and reported by Al-Jazirah Arabic newspaper, Prince Faisal said these schools will be open until midnight on all week days. He said all the necessary arrangements have been made to ensure women can exercise, taking into account the conservative nature of Saudi society. He said he was unhappy with the current situation, where women have to walk outside under the scorching sun, or in open areas, to get some exercise. He said school premises provide a practical solution to this problem. He added that the ministry is also developing a comprehensive strategy to introduce sports for girls at schools. Prince Faisal said that the ministry has signed an agreement with a Spanish company to help draw up this sports strategy. He said the Spanish firm, along with Saudi sports experts, have already visited a number of countries to gain more international sports know-how. Earlier this week, the Ministry of Education allowed sports halls in schools for girls. The ministry allocated 30 percent of new sports halls projects for girls' schools in different regions of the Kingdom. Construction of sports halls in general education girls' schools has already started, a senior official in General Administration for Education confirmed to Okaz/Saudi Gazette. In the Hail region alone, bids have been offered for the construction of 20 sports halls – 14 for boys' schools and six for girls' schools – at a cost of SR140 million. The total allocation for the Education Administration in the Hail region from the state budget has reached SR500 million for the construction of schools and sports halls and for the renovation and maintenance of schools and school buildings, Khashram Al-Khashram, Assistant Director General of Education in Hail for Support Services, told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.
