RIYADH: As the world gears up to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, Saudi female athletes are making their mark and reaching new milestones across a range of sports.
The latest example is race driver Reem Al-Aboud, who set a new acceleration benchmark in Formula E’s GenBeta electric race car, an upgraded version of the Gen3 car with 400 kW of power.
Al-Aboud achieved 0-60 miles per hour in 2.49 seconds, in what Formula E described as a “landmark moment for motorsport” as she broke the Formula 1 acceleration benchmark.
Speaking to Arab News behind the scenes at Riyadh’s Dirab Motor Park, Al-Aboud said: “Driving the car felt amazing. I’ve driven the Gen2 in 2018 and Gen3 a couple of months back. The progress in the Formula E car is truly amazing.”
“The difference between the GenBeta and the Gen3 car in terms of torque and acceleration is truly incredible.”
The 24-year-old hails from Jeddah, and in the last few years she has become the blueprint for young Saudi women seeking to enter the world of motorsports.
“A lot of females have been contacting me ever since I started and asking me where to start, how to start, where the basics of becoming a race car driver. So being able to be the one to inspire them is truly an honor,” Al-Aboud told Arab News.
In December 2018, she became the first Saudi woman to drive hot laps in a Nissan Gen2 car.
Her historic moment came only a few months after Saudi authorities lifted the driving ban on women in June 2018. The abolition of the ban became a symbol of women’s advancement in the Kingdom.
“Ever since women started driving in Saudi and having Vision 2030, everything has been possible for us women to chase our dreams and to excel in different kinds of sports,” said Al-Aboud. “I’ve always dreamed of becoming a race car driver ever since I was very young.”
Her childhood passion was activated by the social reforms in Saudi Arabia, a common storyline among the Kingdom’s leading sportswomen.
“The facilities, opportunities, everything is there for us to do, so we just need to put in all the effort and accomplish our dreams,” Al-Aboud said.
Her test drive is part of Formula E’s goal to diversify and push for gender equality in motorsports.
Other initiatives launched include the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile Girls on Track program and the NXT Gen Cup, which will feature both male and female drivers.
