London: Saudi women will be allowed into some of the country's sports stadiums for the first time next year, in the latest in a string of reforms to Saudi Arabia's ultra-conservative social laws.

Women have previously been banned from all stadiums but the Saudi government said Sunday that it would begin opening up venues in Riyadh, Jeddah and the eastern city of Dammam in early 2018.

"In line with the directives of our wise leadership and its interest in all sectors of society, it has been decided to start preparing three stadiums...to be ready for families in accordance with the relevant regulations in early 2018," the General Sports Authority said.

Women were allowed into the national stadium in Riyadh last month for a one-off event to mark Saudi Arabia's national day.

Sunday's announcement implies they will be able to attend sporting events regularly but will still need to be accompanied by their husband or a male family members, in line with the country's strict guardianship system.

It is not clear if the stadiums will be segregated by gender or if women will have to sit in a specific section. Saudi Arabia announced last month that women will finally be allowed to drive from June 2018. The country's ban on female drivers had long been held up as a symbol of its oppressive treatment of women.