AGENCIES: The national football association (RFEF) said on Monday the Spanish Super Cup tournament will be played in Saudi Arabia in January 2020.

The four-team event features Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Valencia at the 62,000-capacity King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Jeddah.

According to a Spanish newspaper,  the federation would earn between £29-£34m a year from the three-year deal.

However, a government official and La Liga have criticized the move.

Spain’s acting junior minister for sport, Maria Jose Rienda, said the government would not support holding the competition “in countries where women’s rights are not respected”.

Human rights organization Amnesty International has highlighted the country’s “abysmal” human rights record. Heavy restrictions on freedom of expression and women’s rights have been raised, as has the use of the death penalty for offenses not recognized as crimes under international law.

The Kingdom has sought to stage sporting and entertainment events in a bid to attract visitors and move away from its oil-dependent economy.

A ban on women attending football matches in the deeply conservative Muslim kingdom was lifted in 2017 as part of a wider easing of social restrictions championed by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.