Sliding behind the wheel of a sleek electric SUV, Reema Juffali is set to blaze a trail in male-dominated motor sports as the first Saudi woman to race in the kingdom.
Juffali, a 27-year-old who made her motoring debut justmonths after the decades-old ban ended, will compete Friday and Saturday in theJaguar I-PACE eTROPHY, an all-electric race in Diriyah, close to thecapital Riyadh.
"The ban was lifted last year and I never expected torace professionally," said Juffali, sitting in her black-and-green JaguarI-Pace, an electric sports utility vehicle.
"The fact that I am doing it… is amazing,"Juffali, clad in a racing suit, told AFP in an interview close to the racingcircuit in Diriyah.
Juffali, who hails from the western city of Jeddah and waseducated in the United States, will participate as what organisers call a"VIP" guest driver, becoming the first Saudi woman to race on homesoil.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia's sportsauthority chief, has touted it as a "watershed" moment for thekingdom.
"Reema will have thousands cheering her on, as aprofessional racing driver," the prince told AFP.
Juffali, who made one of her first appearances incompetitive racing at the F4 British Championship at Brands Hatch in April, hasonly about a year of professional racing experience under her belt.
