Safiya Al Saiyagh has been a cyclist for as long as she can remember, and this summer she will have the honour of representing the UAE at the Olympic Games in Paris.
The professional rider has been part of the UAE Team ADQ since 2021 and has achieved remarkable feats in her cycling career. Notably, she clinched her National title in Individual Time Trial and Road Race at the annual National Championship for the third consecutive time. Safiya has made significant contributions to the UAE’s cycling legacy, earning the first Gold Medal for the country in the Arab cycling championship hosted in Egypt.
Additionally, she secured a commendable 3rd place, with a Bronze title, in the Asian Championship in the Under 23 category in 2022. In 2023, Safiya made history by participating in her inaugural professional race in Europe during the Princess Ana Vasa Tour in Poland, alongside the UAE Development Team. Later that year, at the Tour of Chongming Island and the Tour of Guangxi in China, UAE Team ADQ achieved another milestone as Safiya became the first female Emirati athlete to compete in a UCI Women’s World Tour race. She demonstrated unwavering determination by finishing all stages and secured an impressive 12th place in the Youth Classification (U23). The year 2023 proved to be a golden one for Safiya as she continued to develop, earning a qualification for the Paris Olympics Games in 2024. We sat down with Safiya to learn more about her Olympic ambitions and beyond.
Congratulations on qualifying for the Olympics. In terms of career goals, how does the chance to compete at the Summer Games rank?
With working to rank up the nation’s UCI point ranking I was able to qualify and gain a place in the Women Elite Road Race happening in Paris. Through the season of 22’ and 23’, we tried to compete in many different races, whether national or international with UAE Team ADQ and the UAE National Team, to achieve as many points as possible. By October 24’ we had made it into the nation classification ranking which enabled me to get a spot to race in the Paris Olympics as the first Emirati female cyclist. and 2nd as a sportswoman in the history of the UAE.
What event are you competing in in Paris?
I will be competing in the 158km Women Elite Road Race on the roads of Paris.
What are your targets for the competition, what result and finish would you be happy with?
I would feel extremely proud of myself for being able to complete the race and cross that finish line in the centre of Paris. It is going to be a very tough and long race, the longest of my career. I hope to arrive in form to complete the race and try and perform the best performance of my life on my Colnago bike in Paris, in front of the whole world. To have qualified was a childhood dream that became a long-term goal and I’m very happy to have achieved the qualification all thanks to the succession of Allah first and then with the hard work and hours spent training and being guided by the best professionals.
How do you think it will feel to walk out there at the Opening Ceremony under the flag representing the UAE?
I am extremely excited for the opening ceremony. Seeing it every four years on TV already has had me watching it and cheering for the UAE athletes, and to be one of them this year gives me a lot of satisfaction to have UAE Women’s Cycling being represented finally at the Olympics!
Who do you think is the one person that is most proud of you?
I believe it’s my parents, and I am even happier and prouder to have had their support, love, and prayers for me along the journey, up until this great personal achievement. I pray to god I get to continue my career with their love and support and to always have them by my side. Their support means a lot to me.
Tell us the story of how you got into cycling.
I have had a bike ever since I was a child, for as long as I can remember. I was a multi-sport athlete at school and tried out all sorts of sports, I enjoyed many of the sports I practised and I think upon coming across knowing about cycling races and practising this sport, I knew I had found the sport for me and where my passion lay.
Are you naturally competitive as a person? If so, how did you nurture that competitive drive?
Although I didn’t realise I was competitive in nature, upon speaking once with my mother god bless her, she said you always have been competitive and have wanted to be a high achiever. When I reflected upon her words I realised those words were true. I have always been competitive whether while playing as a child, growing up and with my studies, or in sports as an athlete.
Did you know that if you were to succeed in following that dream, you would need to do something that no Emirati woman has done before? Was that a motivation for you, or was it more of a side-effect?
Being the first of many of the achievements has amplified my drive and has pushed me to achieve more firsts for my country. It was never what I thought about in the beginning, but it sure is a great feeling to take my country’s sport to international events and podiums.
Can you see a growing interest in cycling among your countrymen and women?
The growth in sport in general, but more specifically cycling, is growing immensely. The number of athletes you see in the country these days, whether locals or foreigners, amateur or pro, the community and the sportive initiatives are increasing.
We can assume that plenty of people are now asking for your advice when it comes to being a professional athlete (for both UAE TEAM ADQ and the National Team), what advice have you been giving those people?
I love to be an advocate for passion. Because it is with god’s succession and my passion, that I have been able to push this far with such a hard sport. Having passion or a motive to drive you will always take you very far open up many doors and lead you to opportunities on the journey. Keep chasing that passion of yours, and remember “passion over perfection”
What is the future for cycling in both the UAE and also for women riders?
The future is bright and it is already brighter in the past couple of years following Covid.
More investments, more support and media coverage are being offered. These factors are pushing women’s sports to much higher places than ever before. I can only see it growing from now on. On another note, to find out that the Olympics in Paris has the participation of 50% of women and the other half as men already shows a lot.
