9 Saudi women who deserve an award this National Day

As the only known Saudi female kickboxing and boxing trainer in the kingdom, al-Hamrani is breaking stereotypes in the male-dominated world of martial arts. 

Born and raised in Jeddah, al-Hamrani undertook Environmental Studies with a minor in International Relations in the U.S. 

But, when she could not find a job in her field abroad, she returned to her native country where she decided to pursue her passion. 

It wasn't easy, but she would go on to become a personal trainer certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine. 

"Women should go for their passions. There will be difficult times, but they should overcome those challenges with determined effort," Al-Hamrani once told Arab News.

Saudi director Reem Al-Bayyat has not let her kingdom's cinema ban to get in the way of her directing films and winning awards for her work. 

Bayyat was named Best Director at the Madrid International Film Festival earlier this year. 

She took home the award for her film Wake Me Up, which highlights the struggles of Saudi women in the Short Foreign Language Film category at the festival. 

The 35-year-old director, filmmaker and photographer holds British degrees in photography and film directing. Her filmography includes Doll (2010) and Shadows (2008), which have been screened at international film festivals that include Muscat, Mumbai, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Paris. 

Al-Bayyat does not shy away from bold and pressing topics, especially those affecting Saudi and Arab women, such as forced marriage, which she addresses in her film Doll.

Author, speaker and internationally renowned Saudi activist Manal Al Sharif bought a car earlier this year in Australia after obtaining a 10-year driver's license. 

The defiant activist, who was jailed in 2011 for going against the women's driving ban in Saudi Arabia, is now based in Sydney. 

Al Sharif shared the news via Twitter at the time with Arabic hashtags that translate to: 

'Saudi women call for the end of the male guardianship system,' 'live free,' and 'I am my own guardian.'

Al Sharif left the kingdom in 2011, days after she was released from prison. 

The activist was jailed for 9 days because she was caught driving a car. 

In a heartbreaking New York Times column written in June, she detailed the high price she has had to pay for her activism, including having to live away from her eldest son. 

Based in Riyadh, the outspoken, creative and hilarious Instagrammer smashes stereotypes surrounding Saudi women, especially those who wear the niqab. 

She has garnered over one million followers on Instagram, using Amy Roko as her online pseudonym. 

She shares short comedy sketches showcasing her hilarious take on everyday experiences in the kingdom. 

Unfortunately, her work has drawn the ire of the conservative community who think this is not how a Saudi/niqabi woman should act. 

Last year, Amy Roko was featured in the BBC's list of the world's 100 most inspirational and influential women who "bring you groundbreaking moments of defiance". 

"I don’t even care how society views me anymore. [...] I’m sick and tired of the image that views women as weak and fragile," she told AJ+. "I see women as powerful beings because they are. I’m not hating on men, but I’m trying to make my voice reach all these clueless young girls."

Saudi student Ashwaq Al-Shamri showed the world she's a true hero by taking the wheel, despite Saudi Arabia's ban on women driving, and actually saving someone's life in the process. 

Shamri was honored for doing so, along with some of her colleagues, for saving the life of their bus driver.

This is how the story unfolded. 

A private bus was hired to transport the girls, as is the norm in Saudi Arabia. But then, the bus driver fainted while driving. 

Shamri and her fellow students quickly performed first aid on the driver. Shamri then took the wheel of the bus. She drove the driver and the rest of the girls to the hospital, where he was able to receive the vital treatment he needed to recover.

Dr. Hanan Al-Amir, the General Supervisor of the women's section at the university, credited the young women's actions for saving the driver's life. She commended their bravery and humanitarian spirit.

Nasreen Alissa is a Saudi national who was born, raised, and educated abroad. But, after earning a double bachelors degree in law and sociology, in addition to double master degrees in law, the successful lawyer moved back to Saudi Arabia. 

After years of work, Alissa officially launched the "Know Your Rights" app in 2016.

"When I moved to Saudi in 2012, I realized that a lot of women don’t know much about their rights and I felt that there was [a] crucial need for that to change. At first, I thought maybe I should publish a book, but then realized that because we live in a technologically advanced era, an app would be more fitting and would reach more people," Alissa once told StepFeed.

Today, the app helps Saudi women find more independence and empowerment.

Alissa currently works as a corporate lawyer at a private law firm and is also involved in various charity organizations and initiatives related to the rights of women in Saudi Arabia. 

In 2013, Raha Moharrak became the first Saudi woman to take on Mount Everest after months of intense training. Aside from the physical challenges, Moharrak had to overcome social pressures as well. 

Moharrak had a hard time convincing her father to give her his blessings to take on Everest, according to CNN.

"You want to do what? Ah very interesting. Why don't you leave it until you get married?" she recalls him as saying.

But that didn't stop her from achieving her goals.

"I am living proof that you can achieve whatever you set your heart to. Who would have thought that a Saudi woman could stand on top of the world?" said Moharrak, according to Middle East Eye.

On that day, she was joined by Qatar's first man on Mount Everest, Mohammed Al Thani, and the first Palestinian man on the mountain, Raed Zidan.

"As a proud Saudi woman, I know there are still more barriers we need to break down," Moharrak said in a statement.

Njoud Al Shammari is considered one of the most influential female YouTubers in the Saudi kingdom with over 1.2 million subscribers. 

With a vibrant and perky personality, Al Shammari creates light and relatable videos that range from comedy to tips and fun tutorials. 

Al-Shammari has been featured on YouTube's new Batala channel, an online hub dedicated to Arabic content produced by females. 

Last year, she was listed as the most influential Saudi woman on YouTube by online video intelligence company, Tubular Labs.

Princess Deena Aljuhani did not let living in Saudi Arabia stand in the way of becoming a total fashion princess (pun intended). 

She defies stereotypes and asserts herself internationally as an independent and progressive Arab woman.

The mother of three is married to a member of the Saudi royal family, Abdulaziz Bin Nasser Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. 

She runs D’NA, two exclusive boutiques in Riyadh and Doha. Earlier this year, she was announced as the founding editor-in-chief of Vogue Arabia, a position she no longer holds.

With 52,300 followers, Princess Deena’s Instagram account isn’t so much about her as it is about style. It only makes sense that she’d put her passion on display.