JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s racing champion Dania Akeel is gearing up for the next exciting chapter in her career ahead of the Baja Russia Northern Forest taking place from Feb. 10 to 13 in the Leningrad Region.
Speaking to Arab News before the opening round of the 2022 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas during an event to sign a partnership deal with Abdul Latif Jameel Motors, she said: “I’m ready for the new challenge and looking forward for a new achievement.
“I’ve put a lot of work into the preparation of the new season and now, with just a few days left, my priority is to do as well as I can when I go to Russia for the start of the new season,” she added.
On the new partnership with Abdul Latif Jameel Motors, Akeel said: “When my journey in the world of motorsports began, my goal was to achieve outstanding results driven by the passion and ambition within.
“The support, however, both moral and material, of many of my family and the wider community encouraged me further and pushed me harder, which gave me the confidence to attain the global championship in the T3 category of the 2021 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas, and a personal best achievement in the 2022 Dakar Rally.
“Today, my efforts here are a new and important step to global stardom, carrying the flag of Saudi Arabia first and foremost. I am also delighted to be representing Abdul Latif Jameel Motors Saudi Arabia, who are renowned for their long-standing professional support of motorsports in Saudi Arabia,” she added.
Hassan Jameel, deputy president and vice chairman of her new sponsor, said: “Since its founding, Abdul Latif Jameel Motors has always served as a pioneering model of collaboration across a wide variety of activities, from the economic and commercial development of the Kingdom to supporting sports and social affairs, including empowering women.
“Our new partnership with the role model Dania Akeel continues this collaborative tradition of supporting inspiring Saudi athletes and sporting icons.
“We wish the Saudi global champion all the best in her new challenges this year, and we hope to see other athletes in the Kingdom follow in her footsteps,” he added.
Akeel made history last year when she became the first Arab woman to win the T3 category at the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas. Along the way, she beat off stiff competition from competitors from Russia, Spain, France, the Netherlands, the UK, and Portugal.
She was also the first Saudi woman to obtain a motorcycle racing license, participating in the Ducati Cup in the UAE National Sportsbike Super Series 2019-20 season, taking the Rookie of the Year trophy, before going on to become the first Saudi and Arab woman to rank among the top 10 in the Dakar Rally.