Reema Juffali

Reema Juffali, also spelt either as Reema Al Juffali or Reema Al-Juffali^[1][2] (Arabic: ريما الجفالي; born 18 January 1992), is a Saudi Arabian professional race car driver who competes in the International GT Open with her own team, Theeba Motorsport.^[3] She is the first-ever Saudi Arabian woman racing driver, the first Saudi woman to hold a racing license and also the first Saudi woman to win an international motor race.^[4][5][6] In November 2019, she became the country's first woman racing car driver to take part in an international racing competition in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.^[7]

Reema Juffali
Juffali at Yas Marina, 2018
Nationality	Saudi
Born	(1992-01-18) 18 January 1992 (age 32) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
International GT Open PRO-AM career
Current team	Theeba Motorsport
Racing licence	FIA Bronze
Car number	18
Starts	10 (11 entries)
Wins	4
Podiums	6
Poles	1
Best finish	2nd in 2022
Previous series
2021 2020 2020 2019–20	GB3 Championship F4 British Championship Formula 4 UAE Championship Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy

In 2022, she was named as one of the BBC's 100 Women – a list of 100 inspiring and influential women from across the world.^[8]

Early life and education

Juffali was born and raised in Jeddah. As a child, she took an interest in cars and sports. Her interest was deemed to be ironic as the country strictly banned women to engage in driving at that time.^[9] She completed her primary education at the British International School of Jeddah.^[10] Juffali pursued her higher studies in international affairs at the Northeastern University in 2010.^[11]

Racing career

Juffali in her F4 car at Thruxton in April 2019

Juffali competing in the GB3 Championship at Brands Hatch in May 2021.

After graduation, Juffali obtained a driving license in October 2010 as she passed her driving test in the US. She obtained her racing license in September 2017, after the women to drive movement successfully ended the ban on women drivers in Saudi Arabia that same month.^[12] Her debut race as a professional racer came in October 2018 and she registered her major career victory in December 2018.^[3]

In April 2019, Juffali represented Saudi Arabia in 2019 F4 British Championship at Brands Hatch that was her first appearance in a competitive racing event at the F4 British Championship.^[13][14]

On 22 November 2019, she became the first Saudi Arabian woman to compete in an international racing competition in Saudi Arabia,^[15] taking part in the first round of the 2019-20 Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy as a guest driver. The race was held at the Riyadh Street Circuit.^[16][17] She competed in the 2020 Formula 4 UAE Championship, and the 2021 GB3 Championship.^{[citation needed]}

In 2022, Juffali founded her own team, Theeba Motorsport, to improve Saudi Arabian access and participation in motorsport by creating a series of educational internship and apprenticeship programmes. The team competes in the Pro-Am class of the International GT Open and intends to become the first Saudi racing team to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.^[18]

Awards and recognition

In 2022, Juffali was named as one of the BBC's 100 Women – a list of 100 inspiring and influential women around the world – alongside singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska and actress, Priyanka Chopra.^[19]

Racing record

Career summary

Season	Series	Team	Races	Wins	Poles	F/Laps	Podiums	Points	Position
2018–19	MRF Challenge Formula 2000 Championship	MRF Racing	5	0	0	0	0	2	16th
2019	F4 British Championship	Double R Racing	30	0	0	0	0	20	13th
	Formula 4 UAE Championship - Trophy Round	Dragon Racing	2	0	0	0	0	N/A	NC
2019–20	Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy	Jaguar VIP Car	2	0	0	0	0	0	NC
2020	Formula 4 UAE Championship	Dragon Racing	19	0	0	0	0	80	8th
	F4 British Championship	Argenti Motorsport	26	0	0	0	0	27	13th
2021	GB3 Championship	Douglas Motorsport	21	0	0	0	0	90	18th
2022	24H GT Series - GT3 Am	SPS Automotive Performance	1	0	0	0	1	25	?
	GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup		1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	International GT Open	Theeba Motorsport	10	0	1	0	3	51	6th
	International GT Open Pro-Am		10	4	1	0	6	57	2nd
2023	GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup	Theeba Motorsport	5	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup		6	0	0	0	0	0	NC
2024	F1 Academy	Prema Racing	2	0	0	0	0	0*	19th*

* Season still in progress.

Complete F4 British Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	DC	Points
2019	Double R Racing	BHI 1 12	BHI 2 9	BHI 3 11	DON 1 12	DON 2 10	DON 3 11	THR1 1 Ret	THR1 2 13	THR1 3 11	CRO 1 13	CRO 2 13	CRO 3 Ret	OUL 1 11	OUL 2 12	OUL 3 10	SNE 1 12	SNE 2 9	SNE 3 12	THR2 1 9	THR2 2 8	THR2 3 12	KNO 1 Ret	KNO 2 Ret	KNO 3 8	SIL 1 12	SIL 2 14	SIL 3 9	BHGP 1 10	BHGP 2 11	BHGP 3 10	13th	20
2020	Argenti Motorsport	DON 1 14	DON 2 10	DON 3 13	BHGP 1 12	BHGP 2 12	BHGP 3 12	OUL 1 13	OUL 2 10	OUL 3 12	KNO 1 12	KNO 2 11	KNO 3 12	THR 1 9	THR 2 Ret	THR 3 10	SIL 1 8	SIL 2 10	SIL 3 8	CRO 1 11	CRO 2 8	SNE 1 10	SNE 2 9	SNE 3 8	BHI 1 12	BHI 2 9	BHI 3 12					13th	27

Complete Formula 4 UAE Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	DC	Points
2020	Dragon Racing	DUB1 1 9	DUB1 2 Ret	DUB1 3 5	DUB1 4 C	YMC1 1 8	YMC1 2 6	YMC1 3 9	YMC1 4 6	YMC2 1 8	YMC2 2 8	YMC2 3 8	YMC2 4 Ret	DUB2 1 8	DUB2 2 5	DUB2 3 7	DUB2 4 Ret	DUB3 1 9	DUB3 2 9	DUB3 3 8	DUB3 4 7	8th	80

Complete GB3 Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	DC	Points
2021	Douglas Motorsport	BRH 1 15	BRH 2 16	BRH 3 Ret	SIL1 1 13	SIL1 2 16	SIL1 3 4	DON1 1 16	DON1 2 Ret	DON1 3 Ret	SPA 1 15	SPA 2 12	SPA 3 Ret	SNE 1 13	SNE 2 17	SNE 3 17	SIL2 1 WD	SIL2 2 WD	SIL2 3 WD	OUL 1 15	OUL 2 10	OUL 3 Ret	DON2 1 Ret	DON2 2 18	DON2 3 15	18th	90

Complete GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup results

(Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	Car	Class	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Pos.	Points
2023	Theeba Motorsport	Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo	Bronze	MNZ 38	LEC 43†	SPA 6H 52	SPA 12H 60†	SPA 24H Ret	NÜR 29	CAT 36	30th	6

Complete F1 Academy results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	DC	Points
2024	Prema Racing	JED 1 11	JED 2 Ret	MIA 1	MIA 2	CAT 1	CAT 2	ZAN 1	ZAN 2	SIN 1	SIN 2	LSL 1	LSL 2	ABU 1	ABU 2	19th*	0*

See also

• List of female racing drivers

References

1. Reporter, Sports (10 February 2019). "Reema Al Juffali—breaking barriers". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
2. "Reema Al Juffali - Ambassador of the Sean Edwards Foundation". Sean Edwards Foundation. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
3. "Reema Juffali". rj-racing.com. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
4. "Meet Saudi Arabia's First Female Racer: Reema Juffali". Harper's BAZAAR Arabia. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
5. "Reema Juffali interview: Taking the first step into motorsport is the most difficult". The National. November 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
6. "Reema Juffali Set To Become The First Saudi Woman To Race In An International Series Within The Kingdom". Jalopnik. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
7. "First Saudi woman driver to race car in kingdom - Reema Juffali makes history". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
8. "BBC 100 Women 2022: Who is on the list this year?". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
9. "Saudi Arabia's first female racing driver proves childhood dreams can come true". Arab News. 20 November 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
10. "Making history from the cockpit: Reema Juffali on becoming Saudi Arabia's first female racing driver". news.northeastern.edu. 6 August 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
11. Cox, Josie (13 October 2019). "'My goal is to race at the top levels of motorsport': Reema Juffali, Saudi Arabia's first female professional racing driver, is creating a real buzz". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
12. Chopra, Anuj. "In first, Saudi woman to drive race car in kingdom". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
13. "Reema Juffali: Female Saudi driver to make F4 debut at Brands Hatch". 4 April 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
14. "Saudi race driver Reema Juffali makes F4 debut". english.alarabiya.net. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
15. "First Saudi Woman Driver To Race Car In Kingdom". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
16. "Saudi driver Reema Juffali makes history as first woman to compete in Saudi Arabia". Arab News. 22 November 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
17. "First Saudi woman driver to race car in kingdom". CNA. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
18. "Introducing Theeba Motorsport". theebamotorsport.com. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
19. "BBC 100 Women 2022: Who is on the list this year?". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 December 2022.

External links

• Media related to Reema Juffali at Wikimedia Commons