DANIA AKEEL, LALEH SEDDIGH Lead Middle East Rally Revolution

July 13, 2026

• DANIA AKEEL made history in 2025 as the first Saudi woman to win a Dakar Rally stage, just seven years after women gained legal driving rights in Saudi Arabia.
• Iranian legend LALEH SEDDIGH pioneered cross-country rally in the early 2000s, battling male competitors who formed impenetrable chains to block her passes, yet she consistently claimed podium positions.
• Rising talents including 22-year-old JOANNA HASSOUN (Lebanon), 27-year-old FARAH ZAKARIA (Jordan), and NORA AL JASSASI (UAE’s first female rally racer) represent the new generation pushing boundaries.
• DOMINIQUE SERRA created the women-only Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles in 1990, using analog navigation across Morocco’s Sahara, building legitimacy for female competitors over 36 years despite funding and recognition challenges.

dakar rally, rally racing, rallye aïcha des gazelles