DANIA AKEEL Leads Saudi Women’s Dakar Surge as REEM AL ABOUD Joins Elite Field

January 6, 2026

• DANIA AKEEL continues her commanding presence at Dakar 2026, building on her stage win in T3 Challenger last year and Abu Dhabi victory in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship. The 37-year-old Jeddah native embodies the natural progression of Saudi women in motorsport – not as token representation, but as credible competitors who’ve earned their place through results. Her third-place championship finish proves what we’ve been saying: when women get equal access and opportunity, they deliver equal performance.
• REEM AL ABOUD and co-driver SHROOQ ALAMRI represent the next generation breaking through via the Saudi Next Gen development program. AL ABOUD made history as the first Saudi woman to drive Formula E, then moved into GT racing with Jameel Motorsport before tackling Dakar’s ultimate test. At 25 and 23 respectively, they’re proof that the pipeline isn’t just talk – it’s producing real talent with real credentials who happen to be women, not women who happen to race.
• The surge extends beyond the cockpit, with women like MAISS DABBOUR directing Guest Management & Protocol operations and ALAMRI marshaling major events at Jeddah Corniche Circuit. This isn’t about filling quotas – it’s about recognizing that motorsport ecosystems function better when they tap all available talent. The Saudi Motorsport Company reports clear increases in women across departments and leadership roles, creating the institutional support structure that makes sustainable progress possible.
• Perhaps most importantly, AKEEL’s visibility creates what DABBOUR calls the shift from ‘is this possible?’ to ‘where do I fit?’ – exactly the mindset change we need. Young Saudis are asking AL ABOUD how to get racing licenses, not whether they should bother trying. That’s how real change happens: not through inspiration alone, but through proven pathways and visible success that makes the next step feel achievable rather than impossible.

dakar rally, rally raid, saudi next gen programme, t3 challenger class