Girl on a motorcycle leads the pack

Tahira Yaqoob

• Last Updated: November 06. 2009 9:21PM UAE / November 6. 2009 5:21PM GMT

DUBAI // When Yasmin al Ahmad arrives home from work, she slips on an apron, cooks a meal for her husband and scrubs her house clean.

Then she puts on a helmet and leather vest, pulls on pair of black leather gloves and kick-starts her motorcycle into roaring action.

Her Harley-Davidson, its polished metalwork gleaming in the sun, is as pristine as her home.

That she is a woman in what is predominantly a man’s world does not bother her at all. Syrian-born Ms al Ahmad also has the distinction of being the only Arab woman in the Ladies of Harley, a sub-group set up for the female riders of the Abu Dhabi Harley Owners Group (HOG) chapter.

“Some people dream of a villa in the Maldives but for me, it was a wild dream to own my own Harley,” said the 30-year-old executive assistant.

“Because of the conservative atmosphere in the Arab world I grew up in, I thought it would be impossible. Then after moving to Dubai four years ago, I heard there were women who rode Harleys.

“I had never ridden a motorbike before but loved the noise, the smell of rubber and the idea of being on the open road.” There were, however, hurdles to overcome before she could take to the highway.

Having bought her own Dh33,000 (US$8,980) Harley Sportster two years ago after taking motorcycle lessons, she then tried to register for a licence. There was a small hitch.

While there is nothing in law to stop her from getting the official paperwork, the clerk at the Roads and Transport Authority could not find an option to register her as a “Ms” on his computer screen. Eventually they agreed she could carry the title “Mr” simply to speed up the process. While in Dubai and Abu Dhabi there is no official objection to Emirati women holding a motorbike licence, very few do. In Sharjah they are not permitted.

Next was the small matter of telling Ms al Ahmad’s family. They were horrified at the thought of their daughter attracting attention on the road in her leathers, and risking life and limb on a Harley-Davidson a throbbing speed machine weighing more than 225kg on the UAE’s treacherous roads. “I did not tell them at first but, unfortunately, my mother in Syria was watching a programme about a charity motorbike rally in Dubai and spotted me on the screen,” she said. “She was so angry and begged me to stop.” It caused a big row and to this day, she has not told all her relatives.

“Most are shocked because Arab families tend to have a problem with the idea of girls riding and mixing with a group of guys and worry about what the community will think. Bikers wrongly have a reputation as being filthy and dangerous.

“It is not seen as a thing girls should get into but, for me, it is a passion and part of my identity. It gives me a sense of freedom. Most people think you lose your femininity but I can be equally girlie; I love high heels and have long hair.

“I am conservative I have been to Haj and I pray regularly but it is important to me to break boundaries and be a role model, if that means following your passion.”

Ms al Ahmad’s mother eventually came round to accepting her hobby three months ago when her daughter met and married a fellow Harley biker, Ahmed Gawad, 33, an Egyptian pharmacist.

Along with her fellow riders, Ms al Ahmad is one of a growing number of Arab enthusiasts devoting hours to their beloved Harley-Davidsons, collecting all the latest memorabilia, poring over magazines featuring the latest models and priming their bikes for their regular group rides.

The iconic American motorcycle has a long history in the West. The first machine was built in 1903 and ownership of a Harley-Davidson was once epitomised by the hell-raisers played by Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda in the 1969 film Easy Rider, and by the Hell’s Angels, a motorcycle gang originating in the US.

Now, however, it attracts respectable professionals such as lawyers, doctors and bankers.

In the UAE, where the car is usually king of the road, the Harley has won a whole new fan club, particularly among Emirati riders. The Abu Dhabi HOG branch boasts 1,200 members, 360 of them UAE nationals. Jassim Yari, 28, an Emirati engineering supervisor from Dubai, spent Dh82,000 on a Softail Deluxe 2007 and another Dh50,000 on accessories.

At first he was so worried about his mother’s reaction that he hid the bike at his brother’s house.

“I was afraid of what she might say, and she went crazy,” he said. “She calmed down though when she realised this was my passion and now every morning, she opens the front door to admire the sun reflecting off the chrome and wheels of my bike.

“The sound from the exhaust is the sound of your soul,” he enthused. “When I start riding under the blue sky with wonderful views, I get a real sense of freedom.”

Kamel al Haddad, 49, an Emirati father of three, has been riding Harleys for 30 years and is a long-standing member of the Black Eagles, a group of 78 fellow UAE-born bikers.

Mr al Haddad’s wife, Jass, a 43-year-old Emirati, often rides pillion and has started taking motorbike lessons herself. On Thursday night Mr Haddad was among dozens who attended an annual event at Harley-Davidson’s Dubai headquarters to browse and buy from the latest range of bikes, such as the Dh155,000 CVO Screamin’ Eagle Ultra Classic Electra Glide, the most expensive on the market.

One of the shoppers was Majid al Shaer, 32, an Emirati who often rides in a pack with his brothers Hamad, 27, and Abdullah, 24.

“I have four bikes now and have spent about Dh350,000 over the years on them,” Mr al Shaer said.

Marcel Bode, the general manager of the HOG branch in the UAE, said the appeal of the Harley was “it is a ‘look-at-me’ bike”.

Women make up 10 per cent of members, although there are only 10 women mostly western expatriates who can actually ride. The rest of the Ladies of Harley ride pillion.

The group is hoping to encourage more women to join and has devised a course with Emirates Driving Institute to speed up the learning process. So far, 18 women have signed up. Female-only Harley rallies are expected to begin in December.

Angie Wightman, a spokeswoman for the Harley Owners Group, said: “The whole image of biking has changed.

“It is very family-orientated.”



tyaqoob@thenational.ae