Saudi Dania Akeel’s Baja Cup win evokes Arab girls in motorsports

Saudi Arabian driver Dania Akeel gained the distinguished FIA Center East Baja Cup along with her efficiency in a Dubai race on Sunday, as motorsports’ recognition rises amongst girls within the area.

The cup consists of a sequence of off-road races held within the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan. Akeel gained the side-by-side car class within the last leg of the sequence in Dubai, securing victory within the total cup. She is the primary Saudi lady to carry the trophy.

The Jeddah-born driver had a robust sequence, ending on the rostrum in all 4 of the occasions and main all automobiles on the Qatar race for a interval.

Akeel started racing bikes in 2019, changing into the primary lady to obtain a bike circuit racing license within the kingdom. She moved into rally racing following a bike accident, in accordance with her web site. Saudi girls gained the correct to drive in Saudi Arabia solely in 2018.

Akeel is certainly one of a number of Arab feminine drivers to realize success in motorsports lately. Reema Juffali, Saudi Arabia’s first feminine race automobile driver, completed second within the PRO-AM class of the 2022 Worldwide GT Open, a sequence of races held on race tracks. Amna Al Qubaisi turned the primary Emirati lady racer driver in 2018 and entered the all-women F1 Academy competitors final yr.

Toni Breidinger turned the primary Arab American lady to race in NASCAR in 2021. She is of Lebanese and German descent.

Components One is rising in recognition within the Center East, together with amongst Saudi girls. A Tuesday research from the tv knowledge agency Nielsen Sports activities discovered that feminine curiosity within the sport rose 11% in Saudi Arabia this yr, in contrast with 10% for males. Total curiosity rose 6% within the UAE. A complete of 41% of the sports activities’ followers worldwide are girls, in accordance with the research.