Aseel Al-Hamad
Aseel Al-Hamad | |
|---|---|
| Born | أسيل الحمد  |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Racing automobile driver, interior designer, entrepreneur |
Aseel Al-Hamad is a Saudi Arabian interior designer, engineer, and motorsport enthusiast. She became the first female board member of the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation and is a member of the International Automobile Federation.
Biography
Aseel Al-Hamad is a Saudi Arabian interior designer engineer. In 2009 she graduated from Prince Sultan University with a degree in interior design engineering, and went on to found IDegree Design, an engineering and design firm. Al-Hamad is also a member of the Saudi Council of Engineers.[1][2]
Al-Hamad is a noted motorsports advocate; she became the first Saudi Arabian woman to import and own a Ferrari, and is a member of the International Automobile Federation, which appointed her to represent Saudi Arabia at the Women in Motorsport Commission. In December 2017 she was appointed as a board member of the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation (SAMF) as the first female board member.
In the wake of Saudi Arabia's lifting of a ban on women driving on 24 June 2018, Al-Hamad performed a celebratory lap in a Lotus Renault E20 prior to the opening of the 2018 French Grand Prix. This celebration received considerable attention in the media.[3][2][4][5]
Prior to the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Al-Hamad and W Series driver Abbi Pulling became the first women to drive a Formula 1 car in Saudi Arabia.[6]
References
- ^ "FaceOf: Aseel Al-Hamad, board member of the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation". Arab News. 2018-06-24. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
- ^ a b "Saudi Woman Drives Formula 1 Car, Marking End of Ban on Female Drivers". Haaretz. Reuters. 2018-06-25. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
- ^ Baldwin, Alan. "Saudi woman drives F1 car on historic day". U.S. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
- ^ "'Dream the impossible': Saudi woman drives Formula One car in historic moment for nation". ABC News. 2018-06-25. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
- ^ "PHOTOS: Saudi Women Start Driving, But Activists Remain Jailed". NPR.org. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
- ^ "Aseel Al Hamad and Abbi Pulling become first female to drive an F1 car in Saudi Arabia". formula1.com. Retrieved 2022-03-24.