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UAE: Meet the sisters breaking records, creating a legacy in national motorsports

Speaking to Khaleej Times at the recent launch of AKCEL GP, the Al Qubaisi sisters expressed their desire to help diversify motorsports

Published: Sat 25 Jan 2025, 6:00 AM

Updated: Mon 27 Jan 2025, 9:32 PM

  • By
  • Harriet Shephard

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Supplied photos

Supplied photos

Breaking records is a family tradition for the Al Qubaisi family. Father Khaled Al Qubaisi was the first Emirati racing driver to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France, while his trailblazing daughters are both motorsport icons.

A household name in the UAE, Amna Al Qubaisi, 24, has gone down in history as the first Emirati female racing driver to compete internationally; while her younger sister Hamda Al Qubaisi, 22, cemented her legacy by becoming the first female in the history of the Italian Formula 4 (F4) to secure a podium position.


Just this month, it was announced that the Al Qubaisi sisters will join AKCEL GP, a newly established UAE-based team that will compete in international competitions such as the F4 series, the Formula Regional Middle East Championship (FRMEC), and the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA).

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Speaking to Khaleej Times at the recent launch of AKCEL GP at the Armani Hotel Dubai, the sisters expressed their desire to help diversify motorsports, inspire more female drivers, and grow the sport within the region.

Team AKCEL GP

Team AKCEL GP

Women taking up racing

Amna noted that, in recent years, more women in the region have started taking up racing, but more support is needed here in the UAE. She said: “I’m seeing so many more young women entering professional motorsports in the Middle East, including in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar.

“These countries are working hard to encourage more local women to pursue racing, and it would be really nice to have more programmes for local women available here in the UAE, too,” she added.

Asked what they would change about the racing scene in the Middle East, they both agreed that the sport needed more financial backing.

‘It’s an expensive sport’

“The facilities are exceptional in the UAE. We are based in Abu Dhabi and so we have Yas Marina Circuit as our home track just a short drive away,” explained Hamda.

“However, it’s an expensive sport, so it would be great to have more financial backing or an academy for Emirati drivers that would encourage more locals to take up racing professionally.”

Hamda Al Qubaisi

Hamda Al Qubaisi

The Al Qubaisi sisters are accustomed to competing in a male-dominated sport. Amna, however, admitted that it has always not been easy being one of the few women in racing.

“Being a woman in this sport is definitely challenging,” she shared, adding: “At first, some of the male drivers didn’t really like being beaten by a girl, so I had to work hard to gain their respect on the track. It took time, but because I had the skills and the talent, I did eventually gain acceptance.

"I always say that I want to be recognised for my skills, not my gender. After all, it's 2025, and we're all supposed to be treated equally.”

Hamda added that determination is essential in motorsports: “When things aren’t going well and it feels like a long season, it’s easy to feel like giving up. You have to be focused, proactive and determined. You need to commit a lot of time as well, and make sacrifices such as missing family gatherings.”

Inspiring the next generation

If it wasn’t for the example set by her sister, Hamda noted that she might never have started racing at all. “Amna is the reason I got into the sport to begin with. If it wasn't for her, I don't think I would ever have considered that it could be something I'd be good at, or have the confidence to give it a go.

“Watching her racing professionally I realised how dedicated she was, and that really inspired me to pursue my own career. Now my main goal is to help more women enter the racing world, too,” Hamda added.

Racing in Formula 1 is their eventual end goal, and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is one of the highlights of their year.

Graduates of the F1 Academy, the program that aims to nurture female racing talents, the pair raced at Yas Marina Circuit during last year’s event.

“The traffic over the F1 weekend is always annoying,” laughs Amna. “But it’s definitely one of the highlights of the year. It's such an exciting event, and we always look forward to watching the races together, and seeing the world’s best F1 drivers compete on our home track.”

Friendly sibling rivalry

Although they are each other’s biggest supporters, the sisters confess that there is still some sibling rivalry between them.

Amna said: “We sometimes get team orders to switch positions, and one time that meant I missed out on a podium position to Hamda. I wasn’t too happy about that, but if I had to let any other driver go past, I’d much rather it was her than anyone else.

“We do have some rivalry, but at the same time I’m always looking out for her, even if I give her a hard time on occasion – just like all sisters do!”

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