{"id":15591,"date":"2022-06-28T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-28T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/perspectives\/womens-motorsport-picks-up-speed-in-the-middle-east\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T17:54:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T17:54:06","slug":"womens-motorsport-picks-up-speed-in-the-middle-east","status":"publish","type":"perspectives","link":"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/en\/perspectives\/womens-motorsport-picks-up-speed-in-the-middle-east\/","title":{"rendered":"Women\u2019s motorsport picks up speed in the Middle East"},"content":{"rendered":"

In motor racing, as in commerce, the eyes of the world are increasingly pivoting towards the Middle East.<\/p>\n

For proof of the sport\u2019s rapid acceleration within the region, just glance in the rear-view mirror at the most recent Formula One season: bookended by showpieces in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi and detouring to Qatar and Saudi Arabia as the championship raced towards its nail-biting climax.<\/p>\n

Indeed, the Middle East has increasingly been a honeypot for the global racing community since its first foray into F1 with 2004\u2019s Bahrain Grand Prix. \u00a0The sport\u2019s development within the region has moved at lightning pace ever since, including the appointment of UAE-born Mohammad Bin Sulayem as President of the F\u00e9d\u00e9ration Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), motorsport\u2019s governing body, in 2021.<\/p>\n

As a former rally driver, Sulayem knows better than most that it is rallying, rather than circuit racing, that first ignited the Middle East\u2019s love affair with motorsport.<\/p>\n

The FIA-sanctioned Middle East Rally Championship has been staged annually in the region since 1984, featuring regular events in the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Iran, Lebanon and Jordan.<\/p>\n

Since 1991, the Middle East has also hosted the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (formerly the UAE Desert Challenge), part of the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup and FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, latterly permitting entry to motorcycles, trucks and quads as well as cars.<\/p>\n

Motorsport fans in the UAE are increasingly spoiled for choice, with the F4 UAE Championship, UAE Sportbike Championship and TCR Middle East Touring Car Series all establishing a presence, and Dubai Motor City (with its 5.39 km FIA-certified Dubai Autodrome track) serving as a focal point.<\/p>\n

\"DakarThe region also boasts famous off-road endurance event the Dakar Rally (formerly the iconic \u2018Paris to Dakar\u2019, founded in 1978) which has been held entirely within Saudi Arabia since 2020 and is set to expand from next year to encompass Qatar and the UAE, too.<\/p>\n

Also in Saudi Arabia, the Formula E Diriyah E-Prix has taken place in Riyadh since 2018, kicking off a decade-long deal for Formula E racing in the country, and ensuring that the throttle will remain firmly pressed on Middle East racing action long into the future.<\/p>\n

Women behind the wheel<\/h2>\n

The boom in motorsports in the region has also led to a boom in talent \u2013 not least in terms of female drivers, as women increasingly seek to consolidate their position behind the wheel and on the podiums.<\/p>\n

This growing profile of women in motorsports is a global trend.\u00a0 The all-female W Series<\/a> single-seater championship, for example, recently launched its blockbuster third season, with an international line-up of drivers embarking on a ten-date calendar spanning Europe, Asia and America.<\/p>\n

\"Danica

Danica Patrick, the only woman to win an IndyCar race: 2008, Japan for Andretti Green Racing (Photo Credit \u00a9 Shawn Payne)<\/p><\/div>\n

The 2022, Extreme E Championship off-road racing<\/a> series, meanwhile, has instigated a 50\/50 gender balance bringing global attention to female talent such as Sweden\u2019s Mikaela \u00c5hlin-Kottulinsky, Spain\u2019s Cristina Guti\u00e9rrez Herrero and the USA\u2019s Sara Price.\u00a0 In IndyCar racing, Colombia\u2019s Tatiana Calderon will this year become the first female driver in almost a decade to compete in a majority of the season\u2019s events, in her AJ Foyt Racing Dallara-Chevrolet.<\/p>\n

With women showing that gender is absolutely no barrier to success, it can\u2019t be long before a new generation of female drivers emerges to rival legendary American open-wheel racer Danica Patrick, the only woman to win an IndyCar race (2008, Japan, for Andretti Green Racing) and a surefire inspiration to the stars of tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Rally Jameel: Leading from the front<\/h2>\n

Within Saudi Arabia, the roots of this change go arguably back to 2017, when women first secured the right to hold driving licenses and take to the roads.\u00a0 Empowering women to unlock their potential is a key component of the government\u2019s Vision 2030<\/a> national development strategy, outlining the country\u2019s future direction on the domestic and global stage.<\/p>\n