Yoga has now been listed under the sports activity by the Saudi Ministry of Trade and Industry in Saudi Arabia. The citizens of Saudi will now be able to practice or teach Yoga by getting a license from the government. Yoga was officially approved as a sporting activity by the Ministry of Trade and Industry on November 14, 2017.
Nouf Marwaai is a Yoga teacher who has taught thousands of people Saudi Arabia and is the one responsible to make the profession official. Marwaai had began approaching the officials of the government in 2005 but could not do so. The Yoga teacher then approached the princess, Reema Bint Bandar Alsaud who is also the member of the Royal council and began basketball for women in Saudi Arabia. The princess had assured Nouf that things are changing and they will soon be approving sports for women.
Princess Reema Bint was also chosen as the Deputy of the General Sports Authority and had called for all leaders in any sports for women to approach her directly. King Salman Bin Abdulaziz and the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman have taken charge to change the history of Saudi Arabia. The Crown prince has launched the new vision 2030 which concentrates on the development and investing on the youth of the nation. The vision also focuses on the health and wellness of the nation. Moreover, the nation has allowed women to drive, a fact the Kingdom was widely criticized for many years for its conservativeness towards women.
The decision came after constant campaigns throughout the nation to fight against conservativeness along with fundamentalist forces. Efforts were being made to approach the government for a change in the mindset towards women. In 2015 the United Nations declared June 21 as the International Yoga Day after which Saudi Arabia hosted first Yoga sessions in many of the Indian schools in the kingdom.
Photo Credits: india
