Rally Jameel took place just five years after women got the right to drive in the wealthy country. Is The Kingdom genuinely trying to transform itself?
- Rally Jameel is a desert rallying event for women, in a country where less than five years ago women weren’t even allowed to sit in the front seat, let alone drive.
- Several American teams participated, and were amazed at what they discovered.
- Saudi Arabia is far from perfect, with much of its government tied to a single family that doesn’t tolerate dissent, but maybe changes are coming slowly.
Sometimes motorsports can be a tool used by politicians to win favor or sway world opinion. There was an F1 race in Sochi, for instance. And remember the original Silver Arrows in Germany. But it doesn’t always make a statement. Sometimes it’s just motorsports. Or sometimes it’s a little of both.
Last week the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia held a desert race called the Rally Jameel. That in itself may not be such big news considering that in recent years Saudi Arabia has held everything from the Dakar Rally to an F1 race. The difference with the Rally Jameel is that all the participants and many of the organizers were women.
It was less than five years ago that a woman driving a car in Saudi was illegal. It was less than three years ago that the leader of that country appears to have ordered the killing of a journalist he believed had criticized him. It was last Saturday that The Kingdom executed 81 people in one day whom it assured the world were criminals, either murderers or “terrorists.” Maybe they were. It’s just that trials aren’t exactly public in Saudi Arabia and confessions used as evidence are said to be sometimes coerced through torture, then presented in the trial and used to impose the death penalty.
Americans Woodward and Donaghe take the ceremonial start to the Rally Jameel in Saudi Arabia.
Rally Jameel
So even as none of us is free of shortcomings and none of the world’s political systems is perfect, Saudi Arabia is far from what can be considered a modern, open society.
But is it trying to reform?
The country’s official Vision 2030 platform promises the vaguely positive goal of “…reshaping the social and cultural landscape in pursuit of a new era of opportunity.”
At least part of which means that women can not only drive cars now, they can race them across vast, empty tracts of desert and maybe even have a whoopin’ good time doing so.
Last week’s Rally Jameel is a big step forward in showing the world that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may be moving into the 21st century. Not only were all 34 of the rally teams comprised of all women, much of the organizing was also done by women.
“Under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which recognizes that a modern and progressive nation must encourage and empower all members of society in all forms, including sport, women have been heavily involved behind the scenes at Rally Jameel, an initiative by Abdul Latif Jameel Motors,” read an official statement by the rally. “Some hold key roles that are critical to the event’s daily operation and overall success.”
For instance, the chief medical officer.
“My role is as the Chief Medical Office on the rally, so I’m responsible for the medical safety of all the participants and organizers of the rally,” said Her Royal Highness Dr. Ahad Al Saud, who, in addition to being a medical doctor in Saudi Arabia, is also the CMO of the Saudi Arabian F1 Grand Prix, the FIA Medical Delegate for Saudi Arabia, and the head of the Saudi Arabian Marshall’s Club. “I want the rally to be very successful, with all the competitors finishing safely. I feel they are so lucky to be competing in Rally Jameel, as Jameel in Arabic means ‘beautiful’ and this is really a beautiful rally.”
Her Royal Highness Dr. Ahad Al Saud, who in addition to being a medical doctor in Saudi Arabia, is also the CMO of the Saudi Arabian F1 Grand Prix, the FIA Medical Delegate for Saudi Arabia, and the head of the Saudi Arabian Marshall’s Club.
jamal al mousa
Among the 34 teams were several from America.
“Firstly, I’d like to thank Rally Jameel for inviting all the American teams over,” said American rally participant Dana Saxten, as quoted in an official press release. “It’s quite an honor for us to be here. It’s thrilling to see the country and meet the people. Also, I am racing with my daughter, so really looking forward to the rally.”
Rally Jameel is a navigational rally, it’s not designed as a speed test, organizers stressed. The competitors, who range from complete beginners to seasoned rally veterans from all over the world, drove from Qassim after a ceremonial start in Hail, and then on to the capital, Riyadh over several days, all via hidden checkpoints and challenges.
Motivations among participants were varied. Some just loved racing in the desert, others wanted to try out this new driving thing. One navigator had just gotten her driver’s license two days before the rally started.
“After buying a sports car I decided I wanted to become a better driver, and I soon discovered there are some excellent drivers in the Kingdom, so I’ve since learned a lot,” said Nujood Zahid, from the Saudi Arabian Urban Bedouin team, as quoted in an official press release. “When I first heard about Rally Jameel I thought this is really of interest to me. And despite it being off road, which I have never done before, the idea of racing against other women that share the same passion was an incredible opportunity. I’m very excited to be part of it.”
Zahid was the first person to sign up to the rally, getting her entry in just three minutes after the online site opened for applications.
The majority of teams entered are from Saudi Arabia, but there are also competitors from the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Egypt, as well as teams from Europe and the US. In total, 15 countries from four continents are represented.
American Rally Jameel participants celebrate.
Rally Jameel
The Americans who were invited were given free airfare and 4×4 vehicles to use in the rally.
“I really didn’t know what to expect,” said competitor Emme Hall, a journalist and desert racer from California who was invited. “I was so preoccupied with, ‘What am I going to wear? What should I wear when I go over there? Do I need to make sure that like, do I need an abaya? Like, what do I have to cover my head?”
Turns out, no, she didn’t.
“And then we got there and I was like, ‘I don’t know why I ever worried about that.’ I think part of it was that you could tell we were visitors, number one. I wore long pants and long sleeves, but I never really felt like anyone was giving me dirty looks to like cover my head at all.”
Hall wasn’t just tolerated in the country, she was warmly welcomed.
“I was amazed at how friendly people were. I was worried when they said, ‘We want you to have flags on your truck.’ I was like, ‘We don’t need to put an American flag on the truck.’ And then when we met locals and they asked where we were from when we’d say America they would just, they loved it. They thought it was so cool. They wanted to talk to us. They were so welcoming. And they like, ‘We hope you like our country. We really want visitors to come over here,’ I was just, I was floored by the hospitality and the graciousness of the local people. I didn’t expect it at all. It was such an amazing surprise.”
Cultural exchange.
M.e. Hall
Fellow American rally driver Lyn Woodward was likewise pleasantly surprised.
“We were received very, very well. They’re very friendly. Tourism is new to Saudi and the Saudi people. Their whole mantra is like, ‘How can I help you? What can I do for you?’ They felt honored to have us there. People that we met at the gas station pumping our gas would invite us over for dinner.”
Woodward won one of the stages and finished fifth overall, but saw a larger truth in her experience, especially given the limited amount of context most people get through whatever form of media they consume.
“I feel like, just as we are all stereotyped as Americans, I feel like there’s probably a lot of stereotypes out there,” she said. “People are not their government. People, I think in general, are good and decent and whatever qualms or quips you have with a government, generally the people that you meet there are lovely and wonderful and warm and welcoming.”
“Just as we are stereotyped as Americans, there’s a lot of stereotypes out there. People are not their government.”
The drivers even got to spend time on their own in the country, meeting real Saudis.
“We had a couple of days before the rally where there were no events and we went into the town of Hail, and we went shopping, we went and bought clothing, we went to their normal grocery stores and just bought food and everybody we talked to, and even the people who did not speak English, were smiling at us and so happy and waving and wanting to know why we were there. And when we told them, ‘Rally Jameel,’ they all knew about it, and they were like, ‘Oh, that’s amazing. Thank you so much for coming.’ I mean, it was lovely.”
So maybe things are changing? While it’s unclear to a westerner observing from the outside whether you can stand on a soap box in downtown Riyadh with a sign that says, “Democracy Now!” and not get thrown in jail, maybe things aren’t that far ahead. But again, less than five years ago women were not even allowed in the front seat of a car, let alone behind the wheel. Maybe it’s progress? Maybe it’s a small step for woman, a giant leap for womankind?
Hands… touching hands… reaching out…
Rally Jameel
“This rally would have been illegal five years ago in that country, illegal,” said American rally organizer Emily Miller, who has organized the Rebelle Rally for women for six years, and has organized other women’s events. “What I learned is there’s such a change. And it’s happening very fast. It is not just being able to drive to work. It’s also the fusion of automotive and competition and support for women, it’s more than getting a driver’s license.”
Travel is fatal to ignorance, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, said Mark Twain.
“I have some Saudi people tell me that they feel misunderstood, say maybe, in the press,” said Miller. “And they want people to come and meet them to learn for themselves. And I think people should.”
It won’t solve everything right away, maybe motorsports isn’t the cure-all for the world’s woes, but it would be a nice start.
Keyword: Saudi Arabia Shows Some Reform with All-Woman Rally