Emirati drag racer and philanthropist Hamda Taryam died in the early hours of Saturday morning. Her cause of death is yet to be shared.
The 24-year-old is best known for being one of the first Emirati drag racers after starring on Netflix’s The Fastest.
She achieved so much in her short life; Cosmo ME looks back on her career and selfless charity work. She truly was an inspiration.
Drag racing career
Hamda was best known for her drag racing career. At the age of 15, she became fond of fixing vehicles after buying her first car which she would take to the desert to drive. When it kept breaking down she learnt how to fix it up herself, this then led to her starting drag racing.
Commenting on finding her passion, she told Khaleej Times in an interview: “This led to drag racing and soon, I knew that this is all I wanted to do.”
Netflix fame
Hamda became well known when she appeared on Netflix’s first Arabic reality show The Fastest. The first series featured six episodes in which people were followed customising their cars for drag races in the Middle East.
Featuring male and female drivers from different backgrounds across the region, the series told the stars’ stories as well as sharing their love for driving. Hamda was approached by the production team on Instagram and it led to her being known around the UAE. This boosted her platform and led to her gaining over 140,000 IG followers.
Hamda Foundation
One of the most impressive achievements by Hamda is that she founded the Hamda Foundation in 2021 and used her winnings from drag racing to donate to charity. Utilising the sponsors and people she met in her motorsports career, she helped a lot of people in Uganda due to her charitable projects through her foundation, the Hamda Foundation for Charitable Investments.
In March 2022, she launched a new project for a vocational institute in Uganda’s Maska region called the Hamda Vocational and Social Institute.
The institute aims to provide free professional training to orphaned students to prepare them for working life, the project also gives free education to over 300 students and also built a non-profit hospital in the city which began accepting patients in 2020.
Her legacy
Hamda inspired a generation and encouraged young Arab women to believe in their own dreams. She told Cosmo ME in 2021: “Just believe in yourself and nothing is impossible. Just try to develop your skills to achieve what you’re passionate about”.
“The biggest misconception is that women can’t compete in a sport that is being dominated by men. I am proud of myself, and it’s important for other women and girls all over the Arab world to see that love, passion and determination are all they need to succeed at anything”.