Three years after the driving license granted to women in Saudi Arabia, the kingdom is hosting, from Friday November 3, the first Formula 1 Grand Prix in its history. The first Saudi woman to become a professional pilot, Reema Juffali, will be the event’s ambassador and inaugurate the brand new Jeddah circuit. Aged 29, she obtained her racing driver’s license late after discovering motorsport in the United States, and now competes in the British Formula 3 Championship with the Douglas Motorsport team. For franceinfo: sport, she talks about her career and the evolution of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia.
Franceinfo: Your hometown, Jeddah, will host a Formula 1 Grand Prix. What does this mean to you?
Reema Juffali: Honestly, it’s very exciting and hard to believe. It has only been three years since women have been allowed to drive and Saudi Arabia will host a race for the world’s biggest motor championship. The fact that it is in my hometown, I never imagined. I’m really looking forward.
Saudi driver @reemajuffali named as Race Ambassador for the # F1 stc #SaudiArabianGP
The inspirational 29-year-old, born and raised in Jeddah, contested the British F3 Championship this year and will play a key role across the course of the race week and #SaudiArabianGP weekend pic.twitter.com/YGJ6EEIXK3
– F1 stc Saudi Arabian GP (@SaudiArabianGP) November 29, 2021
How did you get your passion for motorsports, because you didn’t have a Saudi driver model to identify with?
I wasn’t very exposed to motorsport as a child, but I started watching more sports on TV and especially motor racing when I was in college in the United States. Motorsport and Formula 1 caught my attention because I have always been passionate about cars, and it’s a very technical discipline. After that, by taking a close interest in it, also watching the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with drivers who are double my age, I told myself that it was not impossible to get started.
Finally, being behind the wheel of a racing car on a circuit for the first time brought me a lot of answers and the desire to try my luck in competition. If at that time I had been in Saudi Arabia, I probably wouldn’t have had the same opportunities, maybe I would have been more exposed to rallying. But, I was fortunate enough to study abroad, in the United States, so I became interested in circuit racing and had access to it. I was all the more curious as, coming from Saudi Arabia, I did not know this.
Do you have the feeling that if you had stayed in Saudi Arabia, you would not have been able to become a racing driver?
It’s all about timing. I started to get interested in motorsport in 2012 but didn’t get my driver’s license until 2017. Even when I had the opportunities ahead of me, it was the unknown, I was scared. If I had stayed in Saudi Arabia, I might have had other options in neighboring countries, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, where there are tours. No doubt it would have been a challenge, but I’m so passionate I would have found a way.
Was it difficult to become a professional pilot as a Saudi woman?
It’s hard for all women to become a professional pilot (laughs). But of course it was a challenge, I had a lot to learn because I didn’t have a lot of experience. I had a lot of races and tough times.
Learning something late, being older than others, and wanting to compete at a professional level takes a lot of time and sacrifice.
Reema Juffalito franceinfo: sport
I also had to adapt to this world of racing, but slowly and surely I managed to become a racing driver even though it took a long time to realize it.
Have you encountered negative pressure from people who did not want to see you pilot?
At first, before I even started, I thought if I got into car racing there would be some negative comments. Everyone has different opinions. I started learning auto racing only on weekends, and eventually got a lot of support from my family and fellow countrymen. It gave me a lot of inspiration and especially the desire to do well.
And surprisingly, thanks to the fact that my country was changing during this time, there was very little negative feedback. It was a really negligible proportion, especially on the part of men of the older generations, who were used to certain traditions. But quickly, they realized that this country was taking another path.
Most of your competitors in Formula 3 started racing very young, with karting. Do you feel this difference in experience on the track?
Sure. I race against pilots who are sometimes ten years younger than me, or even more. They’re better and faster, but I knew that when I signed up. My goals are different. I started later and know that I am not fighting for the best positions. If I’m tenth, it’s already a victory for me. Fifth is even better. I’m still learning and aiming for different successes. If I had started earlier, maybe I could have dreamed of Formula 1, but it will eventually happen in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom would like to have a driver in Formula 1 and there will be opportunities for Saudi and Saudi drivers.
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Today, activists who fought for women to drive are still jailed in Saudi Arabia. What do you think about this ?
I prefer not to comment on that. But I think it’s a matter of time, the country is still growing and going in the right direction.
You think Saudi Arabia is changing Actually ? Or is the country just trying to improve its image?
The fact that you are interviewing me today, as a racing driver, shows that the country is changing. Each country must find its way to grow. By hosting big events, the country attracts international attention, but also allows the Saudis to have new opportunities. Just for cinemas, for example, rooms have started to open for a few years. It fits into Saudi Arabia’s plan to open up and I hope that with international support, the country will continue to develop.
From the moment the women were granted the right to drive, at first the children and the men would turn to me because it was unusual. When I went out, I was the only one behind the wheel, then the following week, I passed another woman, then the following month more and more women. Now, I see people helping each other, men offering to help women with difficult niches. It’s amazing how much that changes and I don’t think people overseas realize it.
You who have not had a Saudi pilot to identify with, do you hope to become a role model for future pilots?
I hope to inspire and bring optimism so that young Saudi women can face challenges and overcome obstacles. I feel a responsibility and I hope I can show the next generations that they can do great things. I also want to encourage them to drive and when we have more circuits I would love to be there to advise them and pass my knowledge on to them.