In a jumpsuit and safety helmet, Razan Al-Ajami is ready to fly, as the young Saudi woman is the first in the Kingdom to get a skydiving license.
Al-Ajami obtained a freestyle skydiving license and indoor skydiving license from the UAE, where the sport is quite popular. However, she first tried the sport in Saudi Arabia.
She told Arab News: “I first fell in love with skydiving when I tried it a few months ago at an event organized by the Ministry of Sport. I figured, why not give it a shot, so I got professional training and did three jumps before realizing that this is what I want to do.”
Al-Ajami is now pursuing her goal of becoming a professional skydiver. Although she was afraid at first, with perseverance and diligent training sessions, she has been able to overcome her worries.
She described the skydiving experience: “At first, the feeling of the wind on your face and your body floating in the air is frightening, but once you get used to it, you’ll want to leap out of a plane once more.”
In the process of learning more about skydiving and obtaining her license, Al-Ajami faced challenges such as the lack of local avenues for skydiving, and the initial fear of jumping.
She is hopeful about the sport’s future in the Kingdom. “I’m glad to be one of the few licensed Saudi skydivers and hope that this sport will become more well-known in the near future. Freestyle skydiving is not a widespread sport in Saudi Arabia, and I had to travel to other locations, like Dubai, to practice it.
“There are certified clubs in Dubai where you may receive training and a skydiving license. I later obtained a license for indoor skydiving and I am currently working at the Superfly indoor skydiving program in Boulevard World.”
Al-Ajami has been encouraging and inviting more Saudi women to try the sport, and the Superfly at Boulevard World is an amazing opportunity to do so.
“The majority of visitors to this enjoyable indoor flying experience are children, and I adore their reactions since they are always so joyful. Everyone is welcome to participate as long as they weigh less than 140 kg,” she added.
Al-Ajami shared that her ultimate dream is to represent Saudi Arabia while competing at the skydiving world championship. She wants to leave a mark and make Saudi Arabia a global hub for the sport.
As an ambitious young woman, she is striving to start the country’s first skydiving club and form a women’s team.
“The lack of a Saudi women’s team prevents me from competing abroad. I want to create a team that will represent Saudi Arabia,” she said.
