Posted on 02/23/2005 8:15:11 PM PST by Alouette
She wears a traditional black abaya cloak to work and prays five times a day, but religion hasn't stopped Marwa Al-Eifa of Dubai from becoming the fastest female driver in the United Arab Emirates.
The 25-year-old marketing executive won first place at the first international women's rally car race held in Dubai earlier this month. Eifa's parents thought little of the rally until they suddenly saw their daughter on the evening news, a large trophy in her hand. "My parents were so proud," she said.
Her father's pride is all the more significant because he is a citizen of Saudi Arabia, a country which forbids females from driving. Eifa is also a Saudi citizen, although she has never stepped foot in that country.
Eifa, who – like more than 80 percent of UAE residents – does not hold citizenship, considers herself "an international Arabic Muslim citizen." She is thankful to have been raised in the emirate of Dubai, where her family has made their home.
"If I were asked to live in Saudi Arabia, I wouldn't be able to do it," says Eifa, whose favorite car is a 911 GT2 Porsche.
"I always say that if I were to leave the UAE, it would only be to go to London or America."
For young women like Eifa, the UAE is an oasis of freedom compared to the country whose passport she holds. A federation of seven city-states, the UAE is the only one in the region that gives her the liberty as a woman to live the life she wants. It is also a booming regional financial hub.
So it comes as no surprise to Eifa that the UAE is the first country to hold a car rally race for women.
The young racer got her UAE driving license (she passed the exam on the first try) at the age of 18, and her black belt in karate not long afterwards.
Eifa has hopes other Arab women will get involved in sports. "I wish they would participate in any sport they can," she says.
But she recognizes that she's different from other girls. "[People] always say I'm a guy," she says. "But I like dressing up and wearing makeup. I don't like talking about shopping, though. You could say I'm not an air-headed girl. I have a strong personality. I'm a woman but I'm strong and I've always wanted to prove to everyone that I can do everything."
In a sense, Eifa's winning a trophy in a car race for women is parallel to the UAE's booming success at developing itself as an international financial center and not just an exporter of oil.
The UAE's oil resources are limited. Its former president, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, knew he had to develop his country without relying on the reserves. So he reinvested oil revenues back into the country's economy, health services and education, while encouraging women to be active and educated working members of society. Under his skillful leadership, the country was transformed from a traditional desert society into a modern regional financial center.
Dubai is one of the UAE's most booming city-states. It has created a Media City, an E-Commerce City and is now creating a Health City. One of the most luxurious hotels in the world, the Burj Al-Arab, sits regally in Dubai. It attracts the wealthiest tourists and businessmen in the world, who are flown to the hotel from the airport in the hotel helicopter and chauffeured around town in hotel Rolls Royces.
In 2003, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund held their annual meetings in Dubai. More than 1 million of the UAE's 3.1 million residents have an Internet connection. The average resident earns a higher income than the average person in the United Kingdom.
By promoting religious tolerance and equality, especially for women, Zayed attracted many foreign investors. He allowed foreigners to buy property and have fully-owned businesses in free-trade zones. That's what attracted families like Eifa's to the Emirates.
"Nothing delights me more than seeing a woman take her distinctive position in society," Zayed was quoted as saying. "Nothing should hinder her progress. Like men, women deserve the right to occupy high positions according to their capabilities and qualifications."
But it wasn't until after Zayed's death that the UAE got its first female minister. She holds, however, the highest ranking portfolio of any other woman minister in the region: Planning and Development. This appointment came after the neighboring Gulf states of Oman (3), Bahrain (1) and Qatar (1) appointed theirs. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have yet to have any women in their governments.
Women in the UAE received equal rights before the law as early as 1971, when the UAE came into existence as a federation of the seven city-states. The same year, the constitution also gave women the right to practice the profession of their choice. Emirati women were encouraged to get an education, and today they have a higher literacy rate than men. Zayed passed away in November, but his son carries on his pro-Western vision.
Eifa is the embodiment of that vision.
A professional who is not put off by working in a male-dominated environment, Eifa nevertheless says that women's rights have not changed Arab men completely.
"In the Arab community they diminish the capability of women and what they can do," says Eifa, who received her BA from a local college and made a career in marketing and PR. She works as a business development executive for DubaiLand, a theme park with hotels and rides, which will open in 2007.
She is, however, religious. "I pray five times a day, fast on Ramadan, have good intentions and don't hurt anyone," she says, adding that she is not a saint. "I read the Koran, but at the same time I have fun. It's normal for humans to make mistakes."
Working for the Dubai government, she says, she has to wear an abaya and a scarf on her shoulders "because I have to look formal," she explains. But in her free time, she says, she dresses casually in jeans, T-shirts and skirts.
In Dubai, she points out, it's not compulsory for women to cover their hair. "Here women can even wear bikinis," she says, adding that she doesn't feel comfortable doing so.
Modesty has not kept her from sports, however. Last year she was the captain of her eight-person sports team at her company – which took first place out of 10 teams.
As a result, Eifa is in no hurry to get married. "Maybe I'm not ready for the responsibility yet," she says. "I'm happy being alone. There are so many things I want to do. It's not only the car rally, I want to do the endurance race. It's a six-stage horse-riding race. I have already started taking lessons."
But her main goal is simple, and she hopes other Arab women live by it.
"Anything that Arab men think women can't do," she says, "we should 'just do it.' "
I'm inclined to believe that the Arab Emirates held a powder-puff go-cart event and called it a "rally." Not that this woman participated in an actual Rally.
when i first saw this i was like "great another jeff gordon thread"
I'm really disappointed in freeperlandia. As I read this story, I was impressed by the fact that this small country is encouraging freedom and capitalism and is thriving. My grandmother was born in 1888. She never wore pants and she never learned to drive but she was a strong and wonderful person. I don't know why people on this thread feel that it's fun to attack this young woman. Someone please explain that to me.
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