The women’s peloton’s only Hijabi rider, Safiya Al Sayegh of the United Arab Emirates, has ended her career as professional cyclist for religious reasons.
Al Sayegh, 25, turned professional with UAE Team ADQ in 2022 as their sole Emirati rider, and has won multiple national titles in the UAE, finished on the podium at the Asian Continental Championships, and represented her country at the Olympic Games.
In 2026 she stepped down from the WorldTour to ride for UAE’s development team, which is closing its doors at the end of this season, and as such Al Sayegh will not continue racing, but her own personal values appear to have influenced her decision as much as the closure of her team.
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As a Muslim, she wears a hijab and full-length kit when she races – the only rider in the professional peloton to do so – but has decided to step away from the sport after finding herself “in an identity crisis”.
“The past couple of years have been tough mentally, not because this sport is tough, but because I found myself in an identity crisis. Being a Muslim woman that fully believes in covering and dressing modestly, and a girl that just loved racing, riding a bike, and that loved sports,” she wrote on Instagram, announcing her retirement and the end of a 10-year journey in cycling.
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“This year I finally took the decision in sake of obedience to Allah and the rules of my religion upon female attire and what I believe to be right over what I have loved and kept behind in my mind for so longggg.”
In Islam, women are typically expected to wear modest clothing that covers their arms, legs, neck and hair, and is loose-fitting. Some Muslim women wear a hijab, which covers the hair and neck, and others wear garments that cover their face too.
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“Proud to have represented my country and to have tried my best in all the stages of my career, but what feels wrong deep in my heart can’t keep going on,” Al Sayegh continued.
As the only Emirati woman in the professional peloton for several years, the 25-year-old has spoken before about the “big honour” of representing her country in the peloton, and paving the way for other cyclists from the UAE.
She has been involved with helping compatriot Zahra Hussain to join the UAE development team and other initiatives in the UAE.
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“We have introduced the Emirati Talent Program where the team is supporting, coaching and offering local riders experiences with pro riders, training camps with us, and a lot more along the way, so it’s definitely a good step for Emirati women aspiring to become a pro,” she told Cyclingnews in 2024.
“One of my goals with pro cycling is to close that huge gap you have from the Middle East to Europe. Year by year, the gap is shrinking but it’s such a big gap to be able to close it in a year or two. Within the next five years, I hope to be racing at that level and to be competing with the best,” she said.
However, that hope has taken a back seat over the last two seasons, and Al Sayegh will not continue her professional cycling career.
“The little Safiya is immensely proud of what she has become, all by the succession of Allah of course and with the support of my parents, family, friends, and the community that have supported from all around the world,” she continued on Instagram.
“A thank you also goes out to UAE Team L’Imad for the past 5 seasons of professional racing and support helping me reach the furthest of my limits for my country.
“For a while I have thought deeply what I’d like to be remembered by and I hope it can be good manners, smiles, trying my best to spread joy to the people around me, and a Muslim woman that tried her very best to show, wherever she went around the world, how lovely Islam is and that it is a religion of peace, balance, and obedience to our creator, Allah.”
Alongside her cycling career, Al Sayegh completed a degree in graphic design at the American University in Dubai and she is a board member of the Dubai Sports Council. She is married to fellow Emirati cyclist Abdulla Jasim Al-Ali, who rides for UAE Team Emirates Gen Z.