JEDDAH — Saudi rally driver Maha Al Hamali suffered a vehicle rollover accident just before the end of the sixth stage of the Dakar Rally 2024, hosted for the fifth time in Saudi Arabia. The accident led to Al Hamali's withdrawal from the competition. Speaking from the hospital, Al Hamali shared details of the life-saving rescue following her car's overturn, which forced her out of the Dakar Rally 2024. She appeared in a hospital bed with a medical brace around her neck, reassuring her followers about her health and revealing the details of her rescue, which involved a helicopter evacuation from the desert accident site. Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Abdullah Al Faisal, president of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, visited Al Hamali after her accident during the sixth stage of the Dakar Rally. Al Hamali, on her Instagram account, explained that she experienced a vehicle rollover accident just 100 meters before the end of the sixth stage race. She was trapped in her car until Saudi racer Hani Al Namsi helped her out before the arrival of the ambulance. She thanked Al Namsi and the game officials who accompanied her to the National Guard Hospital in Riyadh, where she is receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. Followers of the race, hosted by Saudi Arabia, shared videos and photos from the accident site, showing Al Hamali's car with significant damage, while a helicopter landed at the location to transport her for medical treatment.
