Meet Reema Juffali, Saudi Arabia’s first female racing car driver
Women were banned from driving in Saudi Arabia until 2018, but that didn’t deter Reema Juffali, who showed an interest in cars from an early age
Women in Saudi Arabia waited a long time for the ban on them driving to be lifted. When it did happen, in June 2018, there was much jubilation in the country and across the region.
Making the most of that historic event is today’s new generation of Saudi women, notably Reema Juffali, the country’s first professional female racing driver, who is steadily making progress at an international level.
Here are four things you need to know about Reema Juffali:
The early years
She completed her schooling at the British International School of Jeddah before being admitted to Northeastern University in Boston where she studied international affairs. After graduation, she worked in finance. As a child, she showed a lot of interest in cars and sports.
Getting started in racing
With her education finished, the first step towards pursuing a possible career as a racing driver was to get her driving licence. She did this in October 2010, but she had to wait until 2017 to be issued with a racing licence.
Juffali sat in a racing car for the first time in September 2018. She made her debut as a professional racing driver at the TRD 86 Cup at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi the following month when she finished second. That December, she secured her first win.