São Paulo – Fresh off the Hail International Rally, the last round of the World Cross Country Championship, Saudi rally driver Mashael Al-Obaidan, who finished second place in the T3 class, is preparing for the 2022 Dakar Rally, the world’s most challenging race in the class, to take place in January in her home country.
She spoke to the Saudi newspaper Arab News before her next big adventure. At 33 years old and competing in the T3 class, Al-Obaidan will set off aboard a custom-made Can-Am Maverick, alongside her co-driver Ashley Garcia. They will cross the dunes and rocky terrain of Saudi Arabia on a 12-day journey.
The young woman started riding quad bikes with her father as a child, and the hobby became a passion for traveling and competing. “My dad gave me a quad as a gift when I was a kid, and I grew up exploring the world of buggies, dirt bikes, and motorcycles from a young age,” she said.
While studying in the United States for her master’s degree, Al-Obaidan would take a Volkswagen van and travel for months at a time. “I would visit hot springs, waterfalls or go scuba diving. That’s how I discovered myself and started to take dirt bike courses, which became a hobby, and received my motorcycle license,” she said.
When she returned to Saudi Arabia and found out the Dakar Rally was taking place in her country, she called the Saudi Automobile & Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) and asked if she could get a license to compete. “I kept pushing, and finally HRH Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal called me personally to say I was ready to race, and I took part in the Dakar Experience in 2019, where I did a single stage,” she said.
For Al-Obaidan, family support has helped her get this far. “My parents have always supported me. They are always in touch with me while I am competing,” she revealed.
In preparation for the 2022 Dakar this January, Al-Obaidan said she loves adventure and nature, and the Dakar combines it all with speed, technical skills, and a powerful engine.
“I was in Dubai a couple of weeks ago testing with South Racing for four or five days in the dunes of the Empty Quarter. Also, I’ve been training in the desert in Saudi with a personal trainer, wearing my suit and helmet and focusing on building my stamina with a focus on my mental strength,” she added.
Last March, Al-Obaidan won the T3 class on the Cross Country Baja World Cup tour held in Saudi Arabia. “At the beginning, I wasn’t sure what people would say, but all I’m getting is love and support. One thing that really touched me is a former teacher in high school got in touch with me out of the blue. She told me something she’d never shared with anyone before. She said she had always loved rallying and followed it in newspapers. It was a dream for her to compete in rallying, and she said how happy she was that I was living out her dream,” she said.
With enough budget for an international event, last August, Al-Obaidan competed in the Baja España Aragón rally in Northern Spain, known as the “Mini Dakar.” Riding her Can-Am Maverick alongside Emirati co-driver Ali Mirza in a two-day race, Al-Obaidan, the first Saudi woman to compete in a stage at the European Baja, came seventh.
“The Baja Espana Aragon was the hardest round. The terrain was completely new, the dust was something else, and we had to stop a couple of times because I couldn’t see my co-pilot anymore. There were big rocks, water splashing, no windshield, and at one point, I lost four-wheel drive. But I finished really strong against competitors who have been doing this sport for more than 15 years,” she declared.
She stated that the relationship with her co-driver is of utmost importance. “We spend hours together and you need a synergy. The first thing I do before starting an event is that I tell my co-pilot, ‘I trust you,’ so whatever they say, I will follow,” she said.
On the changes in Saudi society, Al-Obaidan said she noted the country is becoming more open. “It’s opening in Saudi Arabia, yes, there are a lot of things we still need to change and provide, but it’s amazing. We are paving the way, and we are understanding the journey to tell other females how to join us,” she stated.
The driver aims to finish the 2022 Dakar Rally and compete in next year’s Baja. “I want to race more and more. When you do that, you understand yourself and where you stand. At this stage, I’m sticking with the T3 class but moving forward; I’d like to race in the T1. I still have a lot to learn, but I am excited about the future,” she concluded.
Dakar 2022
The 44th edition of the Dakar Rally is scheduled to start on January 1 and run until 14. The rally will be held in Saudi Arabia for the third year straight. The race will start and end in Jeddah, passing through Hail, Riad, Bisha, among other cities.
Over the two weeks of competition, there will be 12 stages. The only rest day is planned for Saturday, January 8, with competitors staying in Riyadh for the day.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
