Two women have joined the board of directors of the Saudi Arabia Football Federation (SAFF) for the first time in its history.

Adwa Al-Arifi and Reham Al-Onaizan were appointed to the board of 11 on Wednesday. Quassay Alfawaz was elected the organisation’s new president.

Al-Arifi has been a member of SAFF’s social responsibility and public participation committee since February, when she became the first female SAFF committee member.

She has been involved with women’s football and widening sports participation for more than a decade.

In 2007 she set up Saudi Arabia’s first female football club, Al Yamamah FC, while at university.

The other woman to join the board of directors, Al-Onaizan, has project management experience in the private and public sectors.

The two women join the Saudi Arabia Football Federation board at a time when the Kingdom is lifting restrictions on women in sport.

Since January women have been able to watch football matches at certain grounds and women’s basketball and squash competitions have been launched over the past year.

Also joining the SAFF board is former Sport England chief executive Roger Draper. He has worked with tennis and rugby administration in the UK before taking the role in Saudi Arabia.