Saudi Arabia will have two women and riders in the Czech team for the first time in Dakar

Thirty-three-year-old Saúdka Mašail Ubajdánová and the same old Danía Akílová will present themselves in the bugin category. Until 2018, women in Saudi Arabia were banned from driving.

“Running this famous competition in our country is a dream come true. I like a lot of people who say that I inspire others with what I do. When I finished seventh in the hardest part of the Cross Country Bajas World Cup among rivals who play this sport “I soon found that I was unlocking doors and breaking down barriers with my results,” Reuters quoted Ubaidan as saying.

Akilova successfully returned to motorsport after a serious accident last year in a competition in Bahrain in which she broke her pelvis. This year she won the World Cup of endurance competitions in the buggy class.

“You have to respect the Dakar. It’s the longest rally on the calendar and Saudi Arabia is an incredible place. You can drive 200 kilometers and the landscape, terrain and weather will change three or four times,” she said.

Their compatriot Saif agreed with the Buggyra ZM Racing team three weeks before the start of the legendary competition. He will appear in the category of light prototypes, in which he will add Josef Macháček. In addition, Buggyra will deploy two Tatra trucks. One will be led by Chilan Ignacio Casale and the other by Téo Calvet from France.

“In Saudi Arabia, Dakar is becoming a bit of an idol. Due to European conditions, very long testing in the region has, of course, not escaped the media or competition,” said Jan Kalivoda, director of team communications.

In addition, Buggyra recently introduced itself at the local Hail Rally, where it agreed to work with a new member. “We will defend the victory in Dakar, but the success is not in the individual, but in a good team strategy. Sálih won the stage last year and knows the local environment best. The main role was played by the fact that we all have one goal – to win,” said team boss Martin Koloc. by the three-time Dakar winner Nasir Attiya from Qatar also took part in the birth of the cooperation.

Saifa is waiting for his third start in the famous rallies, his maximum is the twelfth place from last year. “I became part of the ambitious team that won the Dakar in January, which speaks for all the comments, and most importantly, intends to continue to win. I was very impressed by the operation of the Buggyra at the Hail Rally. I believe that Josef and I will form a very strong team. “Saif added.”