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ISLAMABAD: When Arshia Akhter first stepped onto a karting track in Riyadh as a child, she had no idea it would lead her to professional racing.

Nearly two decades later, she has become the first Pakistani woman to receive a professional license from the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) — motorsport’s global governing body — a milestone that places her among the few women competing internationally in formula racing.

Born in Lahore and raised in ��������, Akhter moved to the United States in 2017, where she now works full-time in clinical research while pursuing her motorsport ambitions.

“My mom and my sister, they don’t even have a driver’s license,” she told Arab News in an online interview from Texas. “It has always been my dad and I who are more sports-oriented.”

Akhter first tried karting at age 11 and returned to it in her teens before transitioning to competitive circuits. She has since raced in the Formula Race Promotions Series and the F4 US Championship, both featuring international drivers.

Robert Wright, owner of Formula Race Promotions, said Akhter began competing with their team in early 2025 and showed steady improvement throughout the season.

“Her progress through the season was steady and rewarded her with fourth place in the season points standings,” he said, adding that plans are already underway to further her skills and experience in 2026.

Securing a professional license from the FIA was a demanding process. As a Pakistani woman entering a sport still dominated by men and the West, Akhter said much of her journey involved learning through trial and error.

She spent months studying regulations, car specifications and race categories while building a resumé that met FIA standards.

“When you’re the first one doing something, you’re figuring it out as you go,” she said.

Akhter currently holds a Grade C FIA license and is working toward Grade B, a step closer to the elite “super license.”

“Every time I race in the championship, I gain points,” she explained. “You only gain points if you’re in the top ten. You need to build up to a certain number to even qualify for a super license.”

Currently, she is competing in Formula E, a category of high-speed electric racing that tests drivers’ reflexes, technical precision and strategy.

Her coach, professional driver Nathan Byrd, described her as “a fast learner with a good attitude, taking all of my feedback well and then immediately executing on-track.”

‘ADRENALINE JUNKIE’

Beyond the racetrack, Akhter juggles a demanding schedule.

“I wake up early, check emails, handle racing or sponsorship calls and then start my research job by 7:30,” she said. “After work, I take my dogs to the park, work out, practice on the simulator and sometimes I’m working till late.”

Despite the sport’s high costs, Akhter continues to self-fund her career.

Women remain vastly underrepresented in motorsport. A 2023 study by More Than Equal, an initiative by former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard and entrepreneur Karel Komárek, found that women make up just around 10 percent of global participants.

Against that backdrop, Akhter’s progress marks both a national milestone and a personal test of endurance. She said she often races on unfamiliar tracks against seasoned competitors.

“Every time I go on a track, that’s my first time on that track, while other people I’m competing against have been there at least 10 or 12 times,” she said.

To prepare, she spends hours in simulation and track analysis, though she admits that practice can’t replace real racing.

“Once you are on track, the execution part kind of includes dealing with things that are changing,” she said.

Away from motorsport, Akhter describes herself as an “adrenaline junkie.” She has competed in equestrian events in the US, earning several podium finishes, and enjoys snowboarding, skydiving, and scuba diving.

“My family has just accepted the fact that I’m the weird kid,” she laughed.

Akhter also excelled academically, staying on the dean’s list and publishing in scientific journals. Now, she hopes her example will inspire more Pakistani women to explore motorsport, not just as drivers, but also in engineering, management and technical roles.

“We make our own norms,” she said. “If you truly believe that something should be normal and you do it... then it will become normal.”

KARACHI: Pakistan and �������� have signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation between both sides to counter corruption, money laundering and facilitate mutual legal assistance, Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) said on Thursday.

The agreement was signed by Mazin bin Ibrahim Al-Kahmous, president of Saudi Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) and NAB Chairman Nazir Ahmed during the inaugural session of Asset Recovery Interagency Network for Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in Jeddah.

Under this memorandum of understanding (MoU), both agencies have agreed to strengthen collaboration through the exchange of information related to corruption and money laundering. Asset-tracing and recovery of proceeds of crime is also a common area of interest.

“The MoU envisions mutual cooperation in matters related to mutual legal assistance (MLA), and extending technical support for the preparation of MLA requests prior to their submission through diplomatic channels,” Pakistan’s NAB said in a statement.

The Nazaha president lauded NAB efforts in global drive against corruption, especially the reforms that have yielded unprecedented recoveries of 6.4 trillion Pakistani rupees or $23 billion in a short span of time, according to NAB. He particularly praised Chairman NAB’s address to the MENA ARIN forum that objectively covered the challenges faced by all states in curbing corruption.

The development comes amid growing cooperation between the two countries, particularly in defense, trade and economy. The two countries signed a ‘Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement’ during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Riyadh last month, pledging that aggression against one would be treated as an attack on both. This week, a Saudi business delegation of arrived in Pakistan to explore opportunities in various sectors.

NAB chief Ahmed lauded the Saudi leadership in taking successive anti-corruption initiatives that have rejuvenated regional anti-corruption efforts. He particularly praised the recent landmark defense agreement between the two countries that will further augment the brotherly ties between the two countries.

Pakistan and �������� have close religious, cultural, diplomatic and strategic ties, particularly in trade and defense. The Kingdom is home to over two million Pakistani expatriates, who are the largest source of remittances to the South Asian country.

�������� has also provided substantial support to Pakistan during its prolonged economic challenges in recent years, including oil cargoes on deferred payments as well as external financing and assistance with International Monetary Fund loan programs.