Yalla Banat took place at Bahrain International Circuit with the theme Women in the Driver’s Seat. The event’s stated aim was ‘connecting, inspiring and empowering women across the Middle East. The brainchild of Martyna Al Qassab – a Polish national, who is married to a Bahraini and mum of two.
As well as a motor show and panel discussion, it featured the largest women’s car parade in the world with more than 270 ladies on the track at Bahrain International Circuit.
Scan the code to read about Martyn’s Yalla Banat journey – including where that name came from.
Martyna says: “Since the time I landed in Bahrain I was amazed by the level of incredible women and from then I wanted to do something to make the world aware of them.
“I started [car] racing here three seasons ago – I was the only girl on the track. I thought I would face hostility but it was totally the other way. Literally all the legends of local racing started helping me, telling me how to get better. At that time a lot of girls were coming to me cos it was something new. At the end of the first season, I had a podium position and people were very interested. In the second season I got my friend to join. Then a lot of people were asking us to do events.
“I’m also a member of Bahrain Marshals Club – the group of male and female volunteers which supervises the racing events at Bahrain International Circuit. One day I was in the tower with the race director on a race day. We saw that there was a piece of debris on the track and he gave out the call to remove it saying ‘Yalla Shabab’, which is literally “Go guys”. But I saw that it was actually three women marshals who were running out [Bahrain’s track has the highest number of female marshals in the world]. I realised, he should actually be saying ‘Yalla banat – go girls’.”
And, thus, the idea for a women’s motoring and empowerment event was born.
Martyna continues: “I started planning the event about a year ago and Shaikh Salman bin Isa [BIC CEO] was extremely supportive from the beginning and really helped. The Marshals Club was also a great help. There were 279 cars were on the track for the car parade with 430 women in them – some of the Saudi women just got their licences the day before! There were 60 girls from Saudi. Others from the UAE and Oman and some who flew in from Europe to take part.
“During the journey I started meeting a lot of people, a lot of really cool girls.
Name in Lights
“One of the ladies from the Yalla Banat team, Monika Makulska, was having a meeting with Michelle Carlson, who works for NASDAQ. She told her about Yalla Banat and Michelle believed in the event straight away – she got Yalla Banat a slot on the iconic lit-up billboard in Time Square, New York!
Also Aseel Al Hamad, the first female member of the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation, got involved and was there. She’s also a member of the FIA (International Automobile Federation). To get FIA support is not easy but they were very supportive and gave us good ideas.
To raise awareness about the event, we did a kids’ car seat meeting/workshop for mums, called Mothers in the Driver’s Seat, which was very well received and we will totally have more of these. My personal mission is car safety and kids’ seats are so important – that’s not just an issue for mums but for dads too.”
Following the success of Yalla Banat, there are several things planned for the future. Martyna explains: “I’ve been approached by institutions across the region to do similar events and we’re planning for Dubai and Saudi Arabia, hopefully in the first quarter of 2019. A lot of women’s car associations have also asked us to do things. The main attraction was the car parade but there were many smaller things going on that I want to highlight.
“We partnered with NBB. In Bahrain 60 per cent of girls finish university. SMEs need a helping hand to get them into the workplace. At Yalla Banat Souq there was an SME engagement zone. I am still constantly referring people to those who took part and we will definitely elaborate on that with further events in the future.
“I’ve also been meeting with leading universities because there is a great deal of potential there – I’m looking at plans for the first quarter of 2019 and talking to C5 nebula and WeGro about the potential for SME growth and the supply of the right people.
“I want to establish a platform to connect people and link them with the right resources. I have a pretty large database of people and the bigger we get the more we can achieve.
“It’s about bringing good vibes and getting the best out of people – there’s a thought to have a chain of industry-focused events – for example putting young women in touch with industry professionals such as law, engineering et cetera, so they can understand what’s out there in the career field and perhaps gain mentors.
In terms of arts, we are collaborating with various associations and have their support. This is something that will develop, for example, through staging auctions to support charity, offering artists a public platform while supporting good causes. There is a big scene here in Bahrain for established artists but there needs to be a platform for up and comers. Aysha Almoayyed, for example, who just had a show in France and also women we’re working with from the Royal University for Women.
“It’s a really busy time. I’m also just doing my Master’s Degree, so every minute counts. I have great support from my husband, Ramzi, without him, I wouldn’t be able to do it.
“At Yalla Banat we had a panel discussion but I didn’t want to have just women. We need the whole of society to be engaged. We need the whole society to get this done. There are so many amazing men out there too who will support and mentor women – one of them was my dad and another is my husband.
“And, we already know that Yalla Banat will be happening again in October 2019 – it’s already got the green light from Shaikh Salman.”
