Lifestyle

This weekend will mark a hugely significant moment for the history-making 27-year-old from Jeddah, in the F4 British Championship as Saudi Arabia’s first female racing driver Reema Juffali will make her debut.

She made her competitive racing debut in October 2018, just months after Saudi Arabia lifted a ban on female drivers.

Saudi Arabia issued driving licences to women for the first time in decades in June 2018, as it lifted its ban. Within five months, Juffali was competing in two-seater racing and has now progressed to single-seater racing.

Thought of racing for Juffali came about three or four years ago and in a shirt period of time she is excited about her exceptional rise, she says “To be here today is quite unbelievable and to have done it in such a short space of time, I’m very grateful and happy about that…”

Juffali, 27, will drive for defending champions Double R Racing alongside Louis Foster and Sebastian Alvarez. “It’s going to be a tough year in such a competitive championship, but I’m ready for the challenge, It’s such a great thing for me to do and represent my country,” she said.

Juffali, on debut, was one of only three women in the GCC to hold a race licence and the first Saudi female to compete in the TRD 86 Cup at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi.