For the first time in their racing careers, Dania Aqeel and Mashael Al Obaidan will become the first Saudi women to take part at the Dakar Rally, with its 44th edition set for January 2 - 14, 2022. Both women made their debut at this year's edition under the Dakar Rally women's team "Shero," making them amongst the first Saudi women to partake at the sideline events.
For next year, however, Aqeel and Al Obaidan will officially be the first Saudi women to compete at the Dakar Rally after being granted necessary licenses from the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF). Both will compete in the T3 category, with Al-Obaidan setting off on the 12-day journey in a customized Can-Am Maverick alongside her co-driver Ashley Garcia.
“The participation in this big event in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is like a dream coming true,” Al Obaidan told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). When describing how she worked towards getting her license, she explained having received a call from Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, President of SAMF.
“Last year, I was invited to go through an experience of 12 days to understand the navigation from the side of the road, and this year the dream is coming true through participating in the actual event,” she explained.
Al Obaidan is definitely not taking this challenge lightly, as she spends a lot of her time training in preparation for Dakar 2022. Speaking to Arab News, she explained that she was recently in Dubai testing with South Racing for four or five days in the Empty Quarter. This is aside from the training she has also been doing with a personal trainer in Saudi Arabia’s desert terrain to build her stamina and mental strength.
For her part, Aqeel expressed her gratitude for being given the opportunity to be part of the main event. “The Saudi Dakar Rally 2022 is characterized by its diverse course that goes through various geographical locations in Saudi Arabia; in addition, the strong competition requires good psychological and fitness preparations for drivers,” she said.
For 2022, the Dakar Rally will be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and will start from Ha'il and finish in Jeddah. In an attempt to avoid rocky terrains, new routes had been established with 4,000 km of special stages, and 2,500 - 3,000 km of liaisons.
