A U.S.-raised Saudi Arabian princess freshly appointed to increase female participation in sport plans to help licence gyms and modify outdoor spaces for women in the ultra-conservative Gulf Kingdom, she said in an interview on Monday.
Princess Reema Bint Bandar Al Saud was last week tapped for the job at the General Sports Authority in a country where women are barred from driving and subject to a restrictive male guardianship system.
But as part of a sweeping economic reform and amid high obesity rates, Riyadh is also planning to make it easier for women to work out.
In her first interview with English-language media since her appointment, Princess Reema said there was "no turning back" on the plans, but warned the pace of reform may not be fast enough for a Western audience.
"We will not go and break societal norms and we will not go and create cultural clashes, what we will do is create opportunities," said Princess Reema, 41, speaking in Rio where she has been supporting the four female Saudi athletes competing in the 2016 Olympic Games.
"Our biggest mandate right now is mass participation," she said, adding she would have more details once she officially takes up her role next month.
Women in Saudi Arabia face significant hurdles to practice sport. They must wear head-to-toe garments in public, observe strict rules on gender segregation and obtain permission from a male guardian to travel, study or marry.
Women's gyms are not eligible for licences, so they are scarce or operate on the sly.
