7 Pioneering Saudi Arabian Women You Need To Keep Your Eyes On

“When a woman succeeds, she reaches out to those around her and pulls them up with her. That is why if you empower a woman, you empower a whole society.”

– Queen Rania Al-Abdullah

In a world that is still trying to figure out how to deal with the rise of women’s rights, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia has proven to be an exception. The country is home to some of the most prominent female pioneers in the world, and they’re only getting better.

Saudi women are excelling in industries as diverse as media, fashion, technology, and even politics. With this new wave of success comes a new generation of young women who are determined to change their own lives and the lives of those around them. These are just a few examples:

1- Aseel Al-Hamad

“My role is to champion female drivers in the Kingdom, and channel their hopes and wishes to a governance level. It is my ultimate aim to become more involved in the KSA government and to be a figurehead for female empowerment in all its guises.”

Aseel Al-Hamad is a Saudi Arabian interior designer, engineer, and motorsports enthusiast—and now she’s the first woman to drive a Formula 1 car in Saudi Arabia. Al-Hamad has been an advocate for women and motorsports for years: she founded IDegree Design—an engineering and design firm—in 2012; she was appointed to represent Saudi Arabia at the Women in Motorsport Commission by FIA in December 2017; and in 2018 prior to allowing Saudi women to drive, she performed a celebratory lap in a Lotus Renault E20 before the start of the French Grand Prix, a celebration that received notable attention in the media. In 2023, she was invited by The Women’s World Car of the Year to 

its global panel of judges.

2- Nora Al Sorour

“This award is a motivation to intensify my efforts and strive for even greater success in the field of education.”

Nora Al Sorour, from the Jazan Region Education Department, is a Saudi teacher who has been awarded the Global Teacher Prize in 2023 by the Varkey Foundation. Nora succeeded in outdoing 7,000 male and female teachers from 130 countries around the world to become one of the top 50 teachers to receive this honor from UNESCO. Nora believes that education is one of the highest priorities for any society’s development and progress. This belief has made her a role model for teachers across the region who are keen to learn new methods in order to improve their performance and raise their students’ achievements.

3- Rayyanah Barnawi

“Hello from outer space! It feels amazing to be viewing Earth from this capsule.”

For the first time ever, a Saudi woman has traveled to low-Earth orbit and landed on the International Space Station (ISS). Rayyanah Barnawi was selected for Axiom Mission 2 as a Mission Specialist by the Saudi Space Commission; a biochemist with almost a decade of experience in cancer stem cell research, she operated as a mission specialist to conduct stem cell and breast cancer experiments on the ISS. She is now the first Saudi woman to travel to space—and this is just one more example of how women are pushing boundaries around the world.

4- Renad Aljefri

“Let’s continue to challenge ourselves, overcome obstacles, and make a lasting impact in the world as women entrepreneurs!”

The Cartier Initiative, a program that supports women entrepreneurs around the world to unleash their potential, announced its newest winner: Renad Al-Jafri, a Saudi Arabian woman who founded Ad Astra, a platform that helps families find specialists for their children with special needs and provides high-level education and rehabilitation services. Renad’s work with Ad Astra has earned her this prestigious award for her dedication to ensuring that children with special needs have access to quality education and rehabilitation services.

5- Basmah Bint Eid Al-Aziz Hilmi

A Saudi woman with an incredible mind; Dr. Basmah Bint Eid Al-Aziz Hilmi recently achieved what no other Saudi woman has done: the first Saudi woman to obtain a doctorate degree in Crisis Psychology from King Abdulaziz University, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Dr. Basmah’s achievement is an incredible accomplishment not just for herself, but also for women all over the world who are hoping to break barriers and get into traditionally male-dominated fields of study.

6- Hanadi Al-Hindi

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“I don’t want to be a teacher or a doctor — I want something extraordinary, something only men can do in this country; I want to challenge men.”

When you think about the first woman to drive a car in Saudi Arabia, the image of Hanadi Al-Hindi probably doesn’t come to mind. But she was the first female commercial pilot in Saudi Arabia and flew Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal’s private plane, which he used to support women empowerment. Graduated from an aviation academy in Jordan in 2005; Hanadi followed her father’s dream of becoming a pilot because he believed that women should not be limited by their gender and should pursue their dreams no matter what they are. She finally gained her commercial pilots license in Saudi Arabia in 2015 and now teaches others how to fly.

7- Raha Moharrak

“I hope to change people’s opinion about Saudi in general and Saudi women and Saudi women’s opinion about themselves. I really hope they can step out of their comfort zone and just dream: try to push your limits.”

Raha Moharrak is a woman of many firsts. She’s the first Saudi, Arab, and youngest woman to summit Mount Everest—and she’s done it all on her own terms. Raha’s life changed the day she summited Kilimanjaro and challenged herself, her society and her culture. Her curiosity led to her love of climbing, which eventually led her to travel through seven continents and climb each of the tallest peaks on each continent. She is a living proof that if children are raised confident, curious and unapologetically who they are then they are capable of anything—even for a Saudi woman to stand on top of the world!

It’s been a long road, but women are finally making names for themselves in the kingdom. With the country’s commitment to gender equality, there is ample reason to believe that women will continue to make impressive strides in all facets of Saudi life. It’s time we recognize their success and give proper credit where it is due.

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