Emirati racing driver Amna Al-Qubaisi has added another historic first to her name, becoming one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in Sport for 2026. The only Arab on the inaugural list, the 24-year-old is no longer just the UAE’s motorsport prodigy – she’s now being positioned as a global front-runner for women in racing.
The recognition follows a career that has already taken her from Formula 4 and Formula 3-level competition to the F1 Academy, where she emerged as one of the series’ earliest success stories.
TIME’s new sports-focused list, which spotlights athletes and power players, places Amna in its Leaders category alongside heavyweights from Formula 1, football, basketball and tennis.
Her name appears alongside some of the most influential figures in modern sport, including LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Caitlin Clark.
For the UAE, the recognition marks an important milestone. Amna has already ticked off a series of firsts: the first Emirati female racing driver, the first Arab woman to compete in European Formula 4, a barrier-breaker in F3-level series and an early face of the all-female F1 Academy.
On track, she has evolved from karting talent to single-seater regular and now Pro-level racer, carrying the pressure of being “the first” into every race she enters.
Off the track, Amna has become the go-to face for what it looks like when an Arab woman refuses to stay in the slow lane, quite literally. Between campaign shoots, brand collaborations and panel appearances, she has helped reshape perceptions of who belongs in motorsport, especially in a sport that remains heavily skewed towards male, white and Western participants.
For a generation of girls across the Gulf watching global sport, her inclusion on the TIME list is a reminder that they, too, can aspire to compete on the world stage.
Source: Khaleej Times