Two Saudi women, Mashael Al-Obaidan and Dania Akeel, will be the first female drivers from Saudi Arabia to compete in the Dakar Rally next month, Reuters reports.
The announcement marks a significant about-face for Saudi Arabia, which only recently allowed women to legally drive in the Kingdom.
Mashael Al-Obaidan and Dania Akeel will be the first female drivers from Saudi Arabia to compete in the Dakar Rally next month.
According to Reuters, the 44th edition of the endurance rally in the Kingdom is more than 8,300 kilometers long (5157 miles) with a route that traverses deserts and mountains. Al-Obaidan, Akeel, and other competitors will drive up to 600km a day (372 miles).
The decision to allow the women to compete was made by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation on Wednesday.
Reuters published a reaction from Al-Obaidan, 33, to the announcement that she would be one of two Saudi women to be the first to compete in the race.
“To drive on this famous event in Saudi is a dream come true…I’m doing what I love and I’m receiving so much support from people who say that what I am doing is inspiring a lot of people. When I finished seventh on the hardest round in the (FIA World Cup for Cross Country Bajas) series, against competitors who had been competing in the sport for more than 15 years, I knew I could do this…
“I soon realized that I was unlocking doors and breaking down barriers with my achievements. We are paving the way for females to understand the journey we are taking and to join us,” Al-Obaidan said.
Al-Obaidan recently finished second in the “T3” category of the Hail International Rally and finished 12th in the overall ranking.
