Saudi women were allowed for the first time to enter a sports stadium to watch a soccer match between two local teams, though they were segregated from the male-only crowd with designated seating in the so-called "family section."

The first stadium opened its doors to women in the Red Sea city of Jiddah on Friday. The move is Saudi Arabia's first social reform planned for this year giving women greater rights.

To prepare for the change, the kingdom has designated "family sections" in the stands for women. The stadiums have also been fitted with female restrooms and separate entrances and parking lots for female spectators.