RIYADH — In a special moment for Saudi sports, Hiba Al Owaidi officiated her first official match in the Saudi Women's League as the main referee, following her international accreditation by FIFA. Al Owaidi blew the whistle to start the match between Al-Qadsiah and Al-Riyadh at the stadium in Khobar, with Abdullah Al-Medad and Khaled Al-Anzi assisting her as line judges. Al Owaidi's debut came after her inclusion on FIFA's international list, where she initially served as the fourth official in the Riyadh Season Cup match between Saudi's Al-Hilal and America's Inter Miami. Her high-quality, professional performance in a game that featured world champion Lionel Messi from Argentina drew significant attention. Joining a list of 22 Saudi referees accredited by FIFA, announced by the Saudi Football Federation last December, Al Owaidi is among notable names like Mohammed Al-Houish, Faisal Al-Bluwi, Sami Al-Jrees, Majed Al-Shamrani, Khaled Al-Turais, Abdullah Al-Shahrani and Shukri Al-Hanfoush. In addition to her football refereeing, Al Owaidi was one of eight new female referees accredited by the Ministry of Sports for gymnastics in January 2021, alongside Jawhara Daghestani, Sahar Al-Dahish, Samah Noor, Khulood Ali, Sarah Al-Zubeidi, Najla Madbouli, and Ahlam Al-Olayani.
