Racing Beyond the Finish Line

Maha Alhamali is a Saudi rally driver and corporate leader whose rapid rise from Rally Jameel competitor to Dakar racer reflects the growing opportunities for women in Saudi motorsport.

For Maha Alhamali, motorsport was not the career she started out pursuing. Her professional journey had already taken her into the corporate world before she found herself behind the wheel of a rally car. What began as an opportunity to try something new quickly developed into a serious motorsport career.

In 2022, Maha entered the inaugural Rally Jameel, Saudi Arabia's first women-only navigation rally. It was her first competitive rally, but she immediately made an impression by finishing third. Rather than treating the experience as a one-time adventure, she saw it as the beginning of something much bigger.

Her debut opened the door to further competition and encouraged her to develop her skills on the rally circuit. She went on to compete in Saudi rally events and quickly established herself as a competitive driver.

The following year brought one of her biggest domestic achievements. Maha won the SSV category of the Saudi Arabian rally championship in 2023, alongside victories in events including rallies in Hail and Neom. Her progress demonstrated how quickly she had developed since entering the sport only a year earlier.

Then came Dakar.

In 2024, Maha competed in the Dakar Rally, one of the world's most demanding motorsport events. Her participation marked a significant milestone in her career and placed her among the Saudi women who have taken on the legendary rally.

Competing in an SSV Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo with Polish co-driver Marcin Ludwik Pasek, Maha faced the demanding terrain and unpredictable conditions that define Dakar. The experience represented a remarkable progression from her first rally just two years earlier.

Her connection with Saudi rallying has continued. In Rally Jameel 2025, she competed for Team Obiyah alongside co-driver Syndiely Wade in a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. The pair made a strong start to the event, leading after the second stage as the rally travelled through Jordan and Saudi Arabia toward AlUla.

What makes Maha's story particularly distinctive is that motorsport is only one part of her professional life.

Alongside her racing career, she has built an extensive corporate background. She currently serves as Special Projects General Manager at Abdul Latif Jameel, bringing years of management experience to a career that now combines corporate leadership with international motorsport.

Her journey reflects a broader change taking place across Saudi Arabia's sporting landscape. As new opportunities emerge for women in motorsport and other traditionally male-dominated fields, drivers such as Maha are showing what can happen when those opportunities are embraced.

Her story also demonstrates that entering a new field does not necessarily mean leaving an established career behind. Maha has continued developing as a corporate leader while pursuing increasingly ambitious goals on the rally track.

From finishing third in her first Rally Jameel to competing in Dakar, her progression has been remarkably fast. Yet the journey is still continuing, with new rallies, new challenges, and new opportunities ahead.

For Saudi motorsport, her presence represents more than individual achievement. It reflects the growing visibility of women competing at the highest levels of the sport and the expanding role of motorsport within the Kingdom's sporting culture.

HerStory celebrates Maha Alhamali for taking on new challenges, reaching the international rally stage, and helping create a stronger presence for Saudi women in motorsport.