INSPIRATIONAL FEMALES IN SAUDI ARABIA’S SPORTING COMMUNITY CELEBRATE THEIR JOURNEY OF EMPOWERMENT

• Local female sports icons speak about their journey in sports to inspire women to pick up sports and pursue their passions
• Alexandra Armas, CEO of the Ladies European Tour, and Noah Alireza, CEO of Golf Saudi, also sat down to discuss the progress, ambition and challenges that lie ahead for women’s golf

To celebrate the fourth edition of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by Public Investment Fund (PIF), four inspirational female figures in the local sporting community, namely Abrar Bukhari, Haya Sawan, Dania Akeel and Leena Al Hakeem, came together to discuss the strides made in Saudi Arabia’s sporting scene at the ‘Driving Change in Women’s Sport’ panel.

In a strong statement of support for women’s golf and a move towards more equality in the game, the Aramco Saudi Ladies International Presented by PIF announced an increase in the event’s prize purse to US$5million, which matches the men’s event, the PIF Saudi International Powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, which took place two weeks ago.

The introduction of the ‘Driving Change in Women’s Sport’ panel builds on the momentous move and offers the women’s sporting community in Saudi Arabia a platform to share their journey and offer advice to women to pursue their sporting passions.

Upon recognising the gap in the market for ladies in their respective sports, Bukhari and Sawan put on their entrepreneurial hats and started training facilities catered specifically to women.

Abrar Bukhari is a 5^th dan Taekwondo black belt national team athlete that captured numerous local and international medals throughout her career. Upon realising there was no proper Taekwondo facility in Riyadh, she founded Above and Beyond Saudi Martial Arts, a dedicated women and kids facility – the first of its kind in the country.

Bukhari said: “I wanted to create something that would inspire other generations, I would say. So saying that, I created Above and Beyond to actually go above and beyond one’s expectations, breaking the barriers or limitations that they might face, could be from sport or in their actual personal life.

“I think other athletes and I have faced the same struggles at the beginning, especially for the pioneers of specific sports. So going through that and finding your way is a way to get it and to achieve whatever you want to achieve and succeed. We have to go beyond what we think our potential is in order for us to achieve.”

Haya Sawan, a certified…