Latest news with #ArabianGazelles
South China Morning Post
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Female supercar fans rev up at rally in the UAE
A group of women with a shared love for supercars gathered in Dubai for a weekend car rally organised by the Arabian Gazelles. The group is the first all-female supercar owners club in the region. Founded eight years ago by Hanan Mazouzi Sobati, the club aims to change perceptions about women in the auto world. Initially, brands were reluctant to support an all-women's car club. Sobati, who has loved cars since childhood, noticed that car events were mainly for men. She felt it was time for women to be recognised.
South China Morning Post
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Arabian Gazelles rev up the UAE with all-female supercar rally
A group of women with a shared love for supercars gathered in Dubai for a weekend car rally organised by the Arabian Gazelles. The group is the first all-female supercar owners club in the region. Founded eight years ago by Hanan Mazouzi Sobati, the club aims to change perceptions about women in the auto world. Initially, brands were reluctant to support an all-women's car club. Sobati, who has loved cars since childhood, noticed that car events were mainly for men. She was often the only woman at these gatherings and felt it was time for women to be recognised. The rally included a four-day tour of the UAE, and participants were invited by BMW to test drive cars on the racetrack. Hanan emphasised that women don't need permission to pursue their passion for driving or to choose the cars they love. They are creating their own opportunities and spaces in the automotive world. Answer: after she noticed that car events were normally male-oriented
Grazia USA
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Grazia USA
Inside The Middle East's First-Ever All-Women Supercar Rally In Dubai
Photo: Instagram @arabiangazelles The Arabian Gazelles aren't just revving engines – they're rewriting the rules of the road. Earlier this month, 20 trailblazing women from around the world came together to launch the Middle East's first-ever all-women supercar rally. Spearheaded by the pioneering collective Arabian Gazelles, the four-day journey was more than a showcase of luxury cars, it was a bold statement of visibility, power, and progress. From the sweeping coastlines of Fujairah to the mountain peaks of Jebel Jais and the golden dunes of Abu Dhabi, the group tore through stereotypes as much as it did tarmac. This wasn't simply about cars; it was about reclaiming space in a world that has long excluded women from the fast lane. The message was loud and clear: the supercar world is no longer a boys' club. The Arabian Gazelles have taken the wheel, asserting that elegance, ambition, and horsepower are not mutually exclusive – and that women belong in motorsport not as outliers, but as leaders. Photo: Instagram @arabiangazelles At the helm of this movement is Hanan Mazouzi Sobati, founder of Arabian Gazelles – the world's first all-female supercar owners' club. What began eight years ago as a bold response to the gender imbalance in car culture has become a global sisterhood fuelled by grit and glamour. 'We're not just behind the wheel,' says Sobati. 'We're leading the change, one powerful mile at a time.' She recalls the early days, attending car events alone, often on behalf of her husband, who wasn't even a car enthusiast. Back then, brands were hesitant to back an all-female initiative. Today, those same names are proudly on board, aligned with a movement that's shifting gears in the region and beyond. The rally launched with an adrenaline-fuelled BMW M Series track session at Dubai Autodrome before heading east along Fujairah's glittering coastline. Day two brought the group to the UAE's highest peak, where they tackled the sharp switchbacks of Jebel Jais. From there, it was on to the dreamlike desert landscape of Qasr Al Sarab in Abu Dhabi before a final glittering celebration at Delano Dubai. 'This is a rally with soul,' said co-organiser Ghita Mejdi, founder of The Kliff Project. 'Every detail was curated to honour the women driving it – trailblazers, storytellers, icons.' From engineers and entrepreneurs to creatives and mothers, the women behind the wheel carried with them a powerful message: inclusion, visibility, and fearless leadership belong in every lane. topics: Middle East, Dubai, ABU DHABI, cars, RALLY, WOMEN, SUPERCAR
The Star
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Fuel your passion
Participants pose for a photo during the first all-women supercar rally in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on May 1. — AP THEY socialised, shared stories and laughed together. Some are engineers, some are entrepreneurs, others are housewives. But these women all share a common passion: their love of supercars. Dozens of women gathered over the weekend in Dubai to take part in a car rally across the United Arab Emirates. The event was organised by the region's first ever all-female supercar owners club, the Arabian Gazelles, and saw 30 women living in the UAE and abroad take part in a four-day tour of the country. Arabian Gazelles was created eight years ago by Hanan Mazouzi Sobati as a way to give women a seat at the table in the automotive scene 'It's really a product of sheer frustration ... because women were overlooked in this automotive scene, and I thought someone has to do something about it and to bring in more women and to drive the change,' Mazouzi Sobati said as she drove her Lamborghini on the road to Fujairah. Her passion for cars goes back as far as she can remember. While kids her age were watching cartoons, she says she was watching Formula One. And the passion for supercars has now become the driving force for something even bigger: changing people's mentalities and perception over women and supercars. A female driver is seen behind the wheel during the event. — AP Mazouzi saw how it was mainly men who were invited to car experiences and automotive events. When she set up Arabian Gazelles she says she was the only woman at these events, and even then, she went instead of her husband who was the one getting the invites, despite him not being a supercar enthusiast. She said brands wouldn't support an all-woman car club at the start 'We want people to stop thinking there's always a man because they see a woman in a supercar; either a husband, a partner, a sugar daddy,' she said. They have come a long way however, and Mazouzi is slowly seeing perceptions change. As part of the Arabian Gazelle rally, the women were invited by BMW to test out cars on the race tracks. 'We do not need permission to drive, or to choose what kind of cars to drive. We do not need permission to have this passion,' she said. 'We do not wait for a seat at the table, if the seat is not available, we create the table and we all sit.' — AP
Gulf Today
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- Gulf Today
UAE's 'Gazelles' dispel male biases with first supercar rally
They socialised, shared stories and laughed together. Some are engineers, some are entrepreneurs, others are housewives. But these women all share a common passion: their love of supercars. Dozens of women gathered over the weekend in Dubai to take part in a car rally across the United Arab Emirates. The event was organised by the region's first ever all-female supercar owners club, the Arabian Gazelles, and saw 30 women living in the UAE and abroad take part in a four-day tour of the country. "We do not need permission to drive:" A participant at the event. Arabian Gazelles was created eight years ago by Hanan Mazouzi Sobati as a way to give women a seat at the table in the automotive scene. "It's really a product of sheer frustration ... because women were overlooked in this automotive scene, and I thought someone has to do something about it and to bring in more women and to drive the change,' Mazouzi Sobati said as she drove her Lamborghini on the road to Fujairah. Watching Formula 1, not cartoons Her passion for cars goes back as far as she can remember. While kids her age were watching cartoons, she says she was watching Formula 1. Flanked by craggy formations, the female petroheads navigate a highway in the countryside. And the passion for supercars has now become the driving force for something even bigger: changing people's mentalities and perception over women and supercars. Mazouzi Sobati saw how it was mainly men who were invited to car experiences and automotive events. When she set up Arabian Gazelles she says she was the only woman at these events, and even then, she went instead of her husband who was the one getting the invites, despite him not being a supercar enthusiast. She said brands wouldn't support an all-woman car club at the start. "We want people to stop thinking there's always a man because they see a woman in a supercar; either a husband, a partner, a sugar daddy,' she said. Participants pose for a keepsake during the first all-woman supercar rally in Dubai. Photos: Associated Press They have come a long way however, and Mazouzi Sobati is slowly seeing perceptions change. As part of the Arabian Gazelle rally, the women were invited by BMW to test out cars on the race tracks. "We do not need permission to drive, or to choose what kind of cars to drive. We do not need permission to have this passion,' she said. "We do not wait for a seat at the table, if the seat is not available, we create the table and we all sit.' Associated Press
