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The elegant
and talented Nada Zeidan.
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Today, women in parts of the Arab world yearn for
basic equalities such as the right to drive an automobile.
In Qatar, by contrast, a woman named Nada Zeidan
regularly drives her Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
6 to victory on the Middle East rally circuit. Ms.
Zeidan is somewhat of a trailblazer both in and
out of her racecar.
She is strong, young and attractive. During the
day, she is a surgical nurse at Doha’s Hamad
Medical Hospital. She is the eldest of 7 children
and is a practicing Muslim. Yet she has all the
wants and needs of most modern Qatari women. She
says she "wants to eventually get married,
settle down, and have children."
But Ms. Zeidan is also different. She said, "I’m
not going to sit at home watching TV and waiting
for someone to get married to. Life is too short
not to take advantage of everything it has to offer."
And take advantage she has.
The Zeidan family lived for a few years in Beirut,
Lebanon in the 1980s, during the Lebanese Civil
War. Ms. Zeidan remembers hearing the sound of gunfire
in the air. She said, "I don’t know, it
just sort of appealed to me, the idea of shooting
a gun. I didn’t think of it in a war context.
It just seemed like it would be fun to shoot competitively."
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Nada Zeidan races to victory
on the Middle East rally circuit.
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Upon returning to Qatar, she intended to take up
shooting by going to the firing range. Then she
heard of an opportunity to participate in another
form of marksmanship. She learned that instruction
was available in competitive archery to represent
Qatar in international athletic events.
Her determination and natural athletic ability
took over and Ms. Zeidan quickly earned a spot on
the Qatar National Archery Team. She was the first
Qatari, the first Arab, and the first Muslim female
to compete at the archery competition the 14th Asian
Games, held in Busan, South Korea. She is currently
ranked fourth in the Arab archery standings.
A longstanding fan of rally racing, Ms. Zeidan
was watching a race on television when she saw an
interview with Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Attiyah, chairman
of the Qatar Motorcross and Motorcycle Federation
(QMMF). She sat up with excitement as he discussed
the state of rally racing in Qatar and the Middle
East and expressed his desire to one day have a
woman represent Qatar on the rally circuit.
Shortly thereafter, Ms. Zeidan, armed with the
determination that earned her a blue belt in Tae
Kwon Do, formally approached Mr. Al-Attiyah to express
her interest in auto racing. She came away encouraged
to race and determined to find a sponsor, as she
would need financial backing for a car and the endless
costs related to racing one.
She went home and prepared media kits about herself.
Her can-do attitude helped her finally land a sponsorship
deal with a Qatar-based company that believed in
her mission and realized the potential marketing
they stood to gain.
Ms. Zeidan’s driving prowess paid quick dividends
as she roared to a first place finish in the Marlboro
Rally of Lebanon, taking the Ladies Cup. She has
also come in first and taken the Ladies Cup in the
Qatar National Rally 4 and the Dubai International
Rally.
Professional rally racing can be dangerous and
Ms. Zeidan has had her share of injury. At the Abu
Dhabi Rally, Ms. Zeidan did not finish because of
a debilitating crash that left her walking gingerly.
Ms. Zeidan is by all accounts a role model. But
she’s quick to point out that she’s just
following the example of Sheikha Mouza, Qatar’s
first lady, who encourages the women of Qatar to
broaden their horizons and create a more dynamic
life for themselves, their family, and their country.
Ms. Zeidan said, "I was proud to be invited
to the Palace recently where I met their Highnesses.
Her Highness is so inspirational and not only to
women! She encouraged me and I hope that I can do
something to keep the country proud of me and make
the other ladies think about doing something with
their life. I want to encourage them to do what
they like and what is good for the country."
Now, as one of Qatar’s emerging sporting icons,
she was asked by Her Highness to appear onstage
at the Reach Out To Asia charity gala dinner last
month. In front of 500 VIP guests, including HH
the Emir, HH the Heir Apparent, Prince Al-Waleed
bin Talal, Sir Richard Branson, former U.S. President
Bill Clinton & Bryan Adams, she presented a
very unique sporting item, a one-of-a-kind Michael
Schumacher watch. The watch raised an amazing US
$1.5 million.
Nada Zeidan is a young, dynamic lady energetically
carrying the hopes and aspirations of women in her
country on her shoulders. She said, "There
always has to be a first. Why not me? I’m working
hard now to make it easier for other women in the
future to express themselves – without fear
of being ostracized – in line with the country’s
vision. That’s fine, I accept that role."
The ramifications of her positive work are being
felt throughout the Muslim world, far beyond Qatar.
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