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Visit Saudi, the Saudi Arabian national tourist office, has struck hitches in its attempts to sponsor women’s events.

Just last week, in a statement headed WE GOT IT WRONG, the Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) announced the abrupt withdrawal of Visit Saudi’s sponsorship of its International Women’s Day event today. The sell-out event will take place without the patronage of Visit Saudi, which was to have been the major sponsor.

CATO’s sudden U-turn came just one day after it confirmed Visit Saudi as the prime sponsor of today’s event, which will see more than 170 attendees arrive at L’Aqua at Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Harbour.

In a similar vein, FIFA was reported yesterday to be reconsidering the notion of having Visit Saudi sponsor the Women’s World Cup “after a ferocious response from co-hosts Australia and New Zealand and some of the highest-profile players in the women’s game”.

The 32-team soccer tournament, which kicks off in July, is being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

A report in the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday said FIFA, the global governing body for football (soccer) had not even publicly acknowledged the mooted sponsorship deal, even though over two months have elapsed since reports by The Athletic in January said Visit Saudi would be unveiled as a tournament sponsor.

Some footballers and fans object to any suggestion of such a sponsorship, citing Saudi Arabia’s restrictions on women’s rights and its ban on same-sex relationships.

SBS quoted Football Australia chief executive James Johnson saying that the organisation had consulted on the matter with the government and commercial partners.

“It was an overwhelming consensus that this partnership does not align with our collective vision for the tournament and falls short of our expectations,” Johnson said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia has competed in 12 Summer Olympic Games and has included female athletes since 2012. The Saudi national football team, the Green Falcons, is one of Asia’s most successful and has won the AFC Asian Cup three times.

In its statement issued last week headed WE GOT IT WRONG, CATO stated:

Many of us are aware that Saudi Arabia has been undergoing a series of dramatic changes and reforms as it opens up to international tourism. Part of these reforms has included significant advances in the rights and opportunities of Saudi women.

In taking on this sponsorship CATO had hoped to highlight these changes and, through the power of tourism, ensure that Saudi Arabia continues on this path. We have always firmly believed that tourism, and CATO members through the product they create, play a vital role in opening up the world, creating change and fostering understanding between cultures.

Whilst there have been major changes for women in Saudi Arabia, further changes are taking place and continual awareness of this is needed. For this reason, we understand industry concerns about the sponsorship of this particular event.

We accept misreading this situation, despite our best intentions, and apologise for any distress this matter has caused our industry colleagues and our board.

The CATO IWD event will still proceed next week [note to readers: it takes place today, Wednesday 8 March] as we remain committed to showcasing some of the incredible female leaders from within the CATO membership and our guest speaker, Hoda Alzubaidi.

We would like to thank Visit Saudi for their support of CATO and our members and look forward to working with them to increase awareness and education of the positive changes being made and progression in the Kingdom.

On its Smartraveller website, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) advises Australian visitors to Saudi Arabia:

Many laws in Saudi Arabia are different to those in Australia, including same-sex relations and abandoning the Islamic religion. Punishments may include imprisonment, lashing and the death penalty. Get professional advice for local legal matters. You may be prevented from leaving the country until issues are resolved.
It’s illegal to mock, provoke or question public order, religious values or public morals. Criticising Saudi Arabia, the royal family, the leadership or Islam is also against the law. These laws extend to social media posts, even historical ones.
It’s against the law to have sexual relations or live together outside of marriage. If you’re sexually assaulted, you may face criminal prosecution. Authorities may not consider you to be a victim of crime.
Always carry your passport or residency card (iqama). There are checkpoints and identity checks can happen. It’s an offence not to carry ID.
In Saudi Arabia, both men and women are asked to dress modestly in public. Avoid tight-fitting clothes or clothes with profane language or images.