Reema Juffali set to make history by becoming first female to race in international series in Saudi Arabia

REEMA JUFFALI will defy her sexist critics by becoming the first Saudi Arabian woman to race in an international series in her home kingdom.

Juffali will compete in the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy, the support series to Formula E's Ad Diriyah ePrix, held in Saudi’s capital city, Riyadh later this month.

Women have only been legally able to drive in Saudi Arabia for the past 17 months and Juffali says she is blasted on social media because of her chosen profession.

Speaking to SunSport, she said: “There are some men who say ‘this is not a woman’s place’.

“Some men who basically disagree – let alone I could drive - just the fact I am doing this on my own and putting myself out there in the public eye.

“These are opinions and I think they are valid for them and this is how they feel and this is how they were brought up.

“But it doesn’t affect me in any way - some people on my Twitter or Instagram message saying ‘I shouldn’t be doing this’, ‘this isn’t feminine’ or whatever.

“The other people, men and women, would respond saying ‘you are uneducated’, ‘what are you saying?’

“I am not doing this for other people, I am doing it because it is challenging me and making me happy.

“The fact that I am affecting people at the same time is fantastic and if it’s negative it’s their loss, not mine – I am still doing what I love.”