The decision taken by Saudi authorities to pull the shutters on those gyms for women that aren't linked to a hospital or health body, has disappointed many women who assert that they want to stay fit and healthy with easy and affordable options. “I was availing the opportunity to visit a fitness club that was reasonably priced near my home, but ever since it has closed, I have had no option but to abandon my fitness regime,” complained Ayesha Bawaja, a Saudi woman who claims that she wants to stay fit because her husband dislikes it when she gains weight. “I started working out at home but did not get the same result because the equipment and encouragement one finds in a gym cannot be found at home.” Lack of space at home for proper equipment (such as treadmills) Ayesha indicates, is also a deterrent. “Moreover, licensed health centers are far from my home. It is not only time consuming for me, but also expensive in terms of fees and transportation (costs),” she added. Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al-Ghamdi, the manager of the information center at the central municipality of Jeddah (Amanah) remarked that many health clubs do not have licenses to operate and that the municipality is only performing its duty by closing them. “The Ministry of Municipality and Rural Affairs has given the instruction to close unlicensed fitness centers and a particular system will be established for all specialized commercial, industrial and professional licenses of municipality,” he stated. Mirroring much of Ayesha's opinion, many women have started walking as a substitute to their gym workouts. However, many men do not allow their wives, sisters and daughters to go out for a walk. “It is still taboo for many in our society to allow women (to go out) for strolling,” said Umm Raghad, a Saudi housewife who suffers from high cholesterol and a heart condition and was therefore, advised to join a fitness club by her doctor. “It would be good if I could be able to stay fit easily by visiting an ‘only for women' gym.” According to a medical Web site www.all-about-lowering-cholesterol.com, exercise does not only help in lowering cholesterol and reducing the incidence of heart disease, but also reduces the risk of death from all diseases. “In a study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1989, 13,000 men and women were studied for eight years. The data showed that an unfit man could reduce his risk of death from all diseases by nearly 37 percent by becoming fit, and an unfit woman could reduce her risk by about 48 percent,” said website. While many women believe that brisk walking is effective, others like Umm Raghad think that it it is more convenient to walk on a treadmill within a gym rather than outside. “I know of many cases of mugging, assault and harassment of women who have been out for a walk,” she remarked stressing that “some people who dislike women visiting fitness clubs should realize that it is far better than strolling outside.” The move has been met with some surprise support from gym managers. Richard Eiser, the manager of the male section of Gold gym (associated with the Saudi German Hospital) in Jeddah supports the steps taken by authorities to close unlicensed fitness clubs. “All health clubs should be associated with hospitals as health is a sensitive matter and it can be very dangerous to have workouts without appropriate medical guidance and certain conditions,” he said. “Hospitals manage the health clubs in a responsible, attentive and a hygienic way.” However, Shabnam Naz, the manager of Royal beauty care in Jeddah raised the question that the General Presidency of Sport and Youth Welfare provides licenses to men's fitness clubs but not for women's clubs. “No other government department has the authority to give licenses to establish women's clubs. We have submitted all the documents for getting the license but our file is still moving from one place to another. I do not have any idea where to go for getting a license. If they are not allowing us to open an unlicensed health club, they should at least tell us where to get the license,” she complained. Shabnam added that the main impetus for the emergence of unlicensed gyms for women is that there is not procedure for getting a license. In agreement with Shabnam's views, the managing partner of Eve Salon, Spa, Houte Couture and Boutique in Jeddah, Shenaz Musa Sait remarked that “as the services are compromised due to the lack of government facilitation, membership fees are very high.” She added that “once women-only gyms are authorized, only those meeting license requirements should be allowed to operate.” According to Al-Ghamdi, there is no permission for women-only sports club. Permission from the Ministry of Health and the General Presidency of Sport and Youth Welfare is necessary for the license. “The process to develop the system will be run under the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and the subject matter of sports and recreational projects will be included for systematizing the procedure. Fees and penalties will be included in the new system, and the issuance of the license will be linked with the approval of the concerned department,” he explained.However, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs cannot issue technical licenses. “The Ministry cannot issue the license until relevant departments give technical approval. It is important to complete all technical requirements and conditions,” he said. As a businesswoman, Sait observes that there is great enthusiasm amongst women in our society to stay healthy but “unfortunately this enthusiasm is not shared by the concerned authorities and hence it causes the lack of a legal status for these health clubs.” Similarly, Naz noted that since she does not know how to acquire an official license, she is bearing much loss. “I am turning away lots of female customers on a daily basis,” she said. “I have observed that many women have saved their marriages and many single girls have found suitable matches by getting fit.” Talking about the great potential in the business of women-only gyms, Madawi Abdullah Al-Hassoun, the board member of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that social resistance to health clubs is the main problem here. “Fitness is not prohibited in Islam, and it is good news that Majlis Shoura is discussing the issue of girls playing sports in schools,” she stated, adding that “Saudi women should show their will to visit the gym and play sports.” She also emphasized that women should play sports from the early age to be healthy, but that it is safer to exercise under a professional trainer, instead of working out alone. Al-Ghamdi however, showed more concern for the safety of women rather than the need for easy access to fitness centers. “The survey team from the ladies department at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs will do a field survey to check all women-only health centers, and they want the public's cooperation as well,” he said, adding that people should complain if they find anything against the established system and law. “Anybody can easily call at the operation number of the ministry ‘940' for complaint. It operates 24 hours to take action against any unauthorized action,” said Al-Ghamdi.
