Dania Akeel: Meet the 34 year old Saudi woman taking on one of the world’s toughest motor races
What Dania shared about herself in her own words:
Having obtained a bachelor’s degree in “Modern History and Politics” from Royal Holloway University, in addition to an MA in “International Business” at Hult International Business School in London, academia has played a pivotal role in my life. My achievements in motorsport are:
First Saudi female to hold a National Competition License for Speedbike Circuit Racing issued by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (2019)
First woman globally to win an FIA Cross Country World Cup, T3 category (2021)
First Saudi woman to complete the Dakar Rally and first Arab woman to finish in the top 10, (result was 8th in the T3 category).
During the 2019/2020 season of the UAE National Sportsbike Superseries I participated in the Ducati Cup and was awarded the “Rookie of the Year” trophy. Although, I had an accident on track, which put me on the road to recovery. Using this time as a way to reflect, I wrote about my experiences in the form of short stories. I then published them into a book entitled “Freefall”, copies are currently being sold in KSA.
After my recovery, I entered the rally world beginning with the FIA Cross Country Bajas World Cup 2021. I complete multiple rounds of the championship in the T3 category and was successful in gaining the points needed to win the world cup. In January 2022 I participated in the Dakar Rally and was the first Saudi female to ever complete the race, and first Arab woman in finish in the top 10 of her group.
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