Before June 2012, Saudi Arabia did not allow their female athletes to compete in the Olympics. Nevertheless, following the international committee’s push for female participation in the 2012 London summer Olympics, the Saudi Committee in London announced that this restriction had been lifted.
Soon afterwards, around mid-July 2012 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued the statement that Saudi Arabia had entered two female athletes: Judoka Wojdan Shaherkani and 800m-runner Sarah Attar, to participate. These brave, ambitious and entrepreneurial women made history by being the first Saudi Arabian women to compete in the Olympics.
Four years later, Sarah Attar competed in the 2016 Rio Olympic marathon. Moreover, show jumping Olympian, Dalma Malhas participated in the 2016 Olympics with a heart of fire and a blazing horse.
A couple years later, the Saudi women’s team spotted greater representation, with athletes such as: Yasmeen Al-Dabbagh (who competed in the women’s 100-meter run) and Dalma Malhas who continued her marvelous participation in equestrian events.
In addition, in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Dunya Abutaleb competed in the 49kg women’s taekwondo. After battling her way through the crowd of disbelievers she sublimed to the 16th round in which she bravely defeated the Israeli Avishag Semberg. After a flawless victory she competed with Moroccan Oumaima El-Bouchti in which Dunya dominated the battle field and won 2–0. Next, her heart flaming and nerves tightening, she unfortunately lost by 2 points to Panipak Wongpattanakit from Thailand in the quarter finals. However, she still had a chance to win a bronze medal in the bronze medal contest. Lamentably, she lost the contest and won fourth place and the hearts of Arabs and Saudi Arabians. Her hopes and amazing smile inspired plethora of young female Saudi athletes to follow their dreams.
Prior to the Paris Olympics event, Dunya was interviewed by the BBC News Arabic and explained that her outstanding supporting father had inspired her to learn taekwondo and thrives in what she believes in. At the current time, taekwondo was not popular but her father believed in her and the sport. Another iconic and inspiring quote of hers is, “I see myself as a fighter so why don’t I use my talent to achieve something outstanding for my Kingdom, something it could be proud of…”
In the past eight years, Saudi Arabia has shown its ability to influence some of the world’s leading professional sports. Leveraging its Public Investment Fund (PIF), a state-owned fund with assets surpassing $950 billion, the kingdom has secured substantial stakes in major sports organizations and teams, attracted prominent athletes to Saudi Arabian teams.
Today, the IOC revealed its partnership with the Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee to hold the first-ever Olympic Esports Games in 2025, which will be a huge tourism income for the kingdom and the honor to have its name written in the books of history.
In a nutshell, Saudi Arabian women are ginormous honors to the Kingdom; their participation itself is an action to cherish forever. The disbeliever’s crowds began to deflate as the supporters inflated tremendously over the years. Saudi Arabia deeply applauses all Saudi Olympians and especially the powerful, indestructible and unstoppable women and the Kingdom wishes them all the luck in other future sporting events that will inspire millions of not only Saudi women but also Olympians.
Writer: Joudy El Rouby
Publisher & Editor: Dr. Mahmoud Mansi
