How This Saudi Arabian Female Entrepreneur Broke Barriers To Champion Women In Motorsports

Aseel Al-Hamad, founder of IDegree Design, an integrated interior design agency, became the first female to be appointed as a board member of the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation. She champions the voice of female drivers in the Kingdom.

“I have always seen my professional career as an interior designer,” Al-Hamad states, “and I've always dealt with motorsport as a passion or hobby. Every time I have a weekend or long holidays, I travel to take some courses and do some racing…This is what I do. Sundays, for example, I never schedule a meeting just to make sure that I can watch the F1 race.”

Before she became known as a pioneer in the fight for women in motorsports, she started her career as an interior designer and entrepreneur. Now, as her company celebrates its 10-year anniversary, Al-Hamad celebrates her growth from her first project to now serving over 40 residential and commercial properties. Her tenure as a business owner prepared her for when she was at the helm of the forefront for not only women in motorsports but for the right for women to drive in her country. “Entrepreneurs have a mindset that's always looking up to new opportunities, that are always innovative, and they're always looking for challenges,” she explains. “The feeling that you get when you're around a racetrack or when you're driving a car, you feel your own control. You're in the driver’s seat. So, it's a very beautiful feeling that you get on a racetrack and because I'm an entrepreneur I'm always looking for new ideas; we like to do things fast. We always like to jump from an idea to another and other. This is what I found in racing. It's fast. It's very challenging.”

Growing up in a country where women weren’t permitted to drive, provided less opportunities for Al-Hamad to become a full-time driver. However, she took advantage of the opportunities that she did have. She comes from a supportive household where her father believed that his daughters and granddaughters should have the ability to drive. At the age of 13, she drove for the first time on a farm with her grandfather. She began to learn how to drive on a racecourse. The more her interest in driving grew, the more she wanted to learn new techniques. Al-Hamad flew to different countries to learn more intensive racing skills.

In 2018, Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, lifted the ban on women being able to drive and hold a license. This presented not only women with more opportunities, but the country itself. To celebrate this milestone, the country hosted its first motorsport race. The launch of Formula E’s 2019 racing season took place in Diriyah.

“Can you believe that I couldn't get my racing license from Saudi because it was not allowed for women?” Al-Hamad asks. “Starting from last year when they allowed women to drive, we started issuing these licenses. Now we have professional races. We have amazing women who are now competing; they are taking it as full-time. Now that I'm heading the women motorsport, I want to make sure that I build all the grassroot and build all the programs and foundation; making sure that they [women] are accepted and they can do everything that I missed in my journey.”

As Al-Hamad navigated her way from entrepreneur to the racetrack, she focused on these essential steps:

• Just start. Sometimes you are your own barrier. If you overthink a situation, you may talk yourself out of a situation where you would thrive.
• Try different positions. If you don’t like what you’re doing, try something else. Don’t stay in one place for too long.
• Follow your passion. It’s harder to quit when you like something. Understand that there will be difficult times, but if you believe in yourself and what you’re doing, you’ll ultimately get there.

“The thing is,” Al-Hamad concludes, “sometimes there are circumstances that don't support you, but you need to always find a way to get close to what you love.”