Meet Saudi Arabia's first female cycling team

MENA

Published: 2017-07-23 17:38

Last Updated: 2024-04-20 13:25


Women cyclists ride around the Corniche wearing long pants and loose shirts with helmets carefully placed over their headscarves. (Supplied)
Women cyclists ride around the Corniche wearing long pants and loose shirts with helmets carefully placed over their headscarves. (Supplied)

They may not be able to drive in the Kingdom, but Saudi women are embracing another form of two-wheeled transport instead.

Meet the ‘Bicicleta,’ the first team of female cyclists taking Saudi Arabia by storm.

Founded a year ago by Ndima Abul-Enein, the team is made up of 30 women, who cycle around the Corniche wearing long pants and loose shirts, and helmets carefully placed over their headscarves.

Ndima told Al-Arabiya that she has loved bicycles since her childhood, a passion that prompted her to think about forming the team for female cycling enthusiasts in the conservative Kingdom.

“Women can keep their hijab and wear modest clothes while practicing sport,” she said.

New members to the team always receive training, teaching them to cycle correctly as well as the proper safety requirements.

While the team has yet to participate in any competitions, Ndima has not ruled this out for the future.

Despite the conservative nature of Saudi society, and stigma surrounding women cyclists, support that she has received from her parents who backed her and her team from the beginning.