Saudi Arabia’s sports future is being shaped by athletes who dare to enter new fields, build new pathways, and invite others to follow. Razan Al-Ajmi is one of them. As the first Saudi woman to obtain a skydiving license in 2023, Razan became a symbol of courage in one of the world’s most demanding extreme sports. But her story does not stop at the jump. Today, as the co-founder of the Saudi Skydive Agency and a judge for the Saudi Federation for Hiking and Climbing, she is helping build the foundations for adventure sports in the Kingdom.
Background & Journey
Razan Al-Ajmi comes from Al-Qassim, a region known for its deep Saudi identity, strong family roots, and connection to the land. Her childhood was not built around organized sport. She did not grow up following a traditional athletic pathway or training under a formal sports program. Her early connection to movement came from something more natural: family camping trips.
As a child, Razan spent time outdoors with her family. They would go on desert trips, stay for days, explore new places, and experience Saudi Arabia’s natural landscapes. These moments planted the first seeds of adventure. She remembers climbing mountains during family trips and sometimes getting stuck at the top, waiting for one of her brothers or relatives to help her come down. One day, she decided that she would climb and come down by herself. That moment stayed with her. It gave her a feeling of achievement and independence.
Before skydiving, Razan explored hiking and climbing. These sports helped her build confidence in outdoor environments. They also prepared her for a life connected to adventure, risk, discipline, and movement. Her role today as a judge for the Saudi Federation for Hiking and Climbing shows how her journey has grown beyond personal participation. She is now part of the wider Saudi adventure-sports ecosystem.
The First Jump
Razan Al-Ajmi did not plan to become a skydiver. Her first step into the sport began with curiosity. She saw an Instagram post about people skydiving in Saudi Arabia. Instead of scrolling past it, she asked if she could try. That decision changed the direction of her life. She joined a training camp where she learned the basics of skydiving. The preparation included ground school, safety instructions, equipment knowledge, emergency procedures, and exit training. It was not only about jumping from a plane. It was about understanding the system before entering the sky.
Her first jumps were in Saudi Arabia, near Jeddah, with views of the Red Sea. For Razan, those early jumps carried emotional weight. She still remembers seeing the sea from above after opening her parachute. During her first jump, she did not fully understand what would happen. She was excited more than afraid. When she reached the plane door, she felt the wind and saw the sky. Then she jumped. The feeling was not what she expected. After landing, she went to her instructor and said she wanted to continue. She wanted to become a skydiver.
“I did not feel that I was falling. I felt like I was flying in the sky.”
Breaking the Fear Barrier
Razan’s courage did not mean she never felt fear. In fact, fear came later. During her first few jumps, she was still learning what skydiving really meant. Around her fourth or fifth jump, her awareness grew. She began to understand the danger, the responsibility, and the precision required. That is when fear became real. At one point, she stood at the airplane door and could not jump. She stepped back. The fear barrier was in front of her. That moment became a turning point. Her instructor told her that if she did not jump, the fear could grow stronger and stop her from continuing. Razan had to decide whether fear would close the door or become part of her training. She chose to continue.
“It is not just about the rig, going to the plane, and jumping. You have to understand your body in the wind.”
This is one of the most important parts of her story. Razan Al-Ajmi does not present skydiving as reckless. She speaks about it as a sport built on knowledge, systems, and mental discipline. She explains that the parachute is not simply a bag on the back. It is a full safety system. There is a main parachute, a reserve parachute, and automatic safety technology that can activate at a certain altitude if needed. For her, skydiving is not only physical. It is mental. It requires awareness, calm, preparation, and trust in the process. That is what makes her journey powerful. She did not remove fear from her life. She learned how to move through it with discipline.
Becoming the First Saudi Woman to Obtain a Skydiving License
In 2023, Razan Al-Ajmi became the first Saudi woman to obtain a skydiving license. This milestone was more than a personal achievement. It marked a new moment for Saudi women in extreme sports. Earning a skydiving license is a structured process. The A license requires 25 jumps, with specific requirements attached to each jump. A person must complete the jumps, pass the required skills, and prove they can safely continue as a licensed skydiver. For Razan, the license was not the end goal. It was the beginning.
After earning her license, she focused on improving her flying skills. She wanted to become better, sharper, and more professional. She trained internationally and joined camps in countries such as Spain, Russia, France, and China. She also competed in Gulf competitions in Bahrain and Dubai. That international exposure helped her understand what a mature skydiving ecosystem looks like. She saw teams representing their countries. She saw training structures, competitions, and communities built around the sport. Then she asked herself an important question: why not Saudi Arabia?
From Athlete to Founder
Building the Saudi Skydive Agency
Razan Al-Ajmi’s next chapter is entrepreneurship. Today, she is the Founder of the Saudi Skydive Agency, a platform connected to her larger mission: developing skydiving and adventure sports in the Kingdom. This shift matters. Many athletes build personal success. Fewer take the next step and build access for others. Razan’s business vision comes from her own challenges. When she wanted to grow in the sport, she had to search for training opportunities, travel abroad, and find coaches and competitions outside the Kingdom. That journey made her stronger, but it also showed her what was missing locally.
The Saudi Skydive Agency represents a move from individual achievement to ecosystem building. It is not only about creating experiences. It is about developing awareness, safety culture, training pathways, and future opportunities. It is about helping people understand skydiving as a serious sport, not only as an adrenaline activity. Razan’s experience also supports this vision. She has worked in skydiving instruction and indoor skydiving operations. She also worked as a Skydiving Instructor at Riyadh Season, helping introduce the sport to wider audiences in Saudi Arabia. These roles gave her practical knowledge of training, customer experience, event operations, and safety standards.
“Always try before making decisions. If you have a chance, even a small chance, use it. Take it, try, and work hard.”
Building a Saudi Skydiving Ecosystem
Razan has a clear ambition: to build a real skydiving ecosystem in Saudi Arabia. Her goal is not only to help people try skydiving once. She wants to build a culture around the sport. That means education, safety awareness, training, teams, and competitions. It means creating a place where future Saudi skydivers can begin their journey at home.
Adventure sports are not only about athletes. They can support tourism, events, hospitality, training, media, and wellness. A strong skydiving ecosystem can create jobs, attract visitors, develop local talent, and introduce the Kingdom’s landscapes to the world in a new way. For Razan, the question is no longer, “Can a Saudi woman become a skydiver?” She has already answered that. The bigger question now is, “How many more can follow?”
Creating a Pathway for Saudi Women in Extreme Sports
One of Razan Al-Ajmi’s most meaningful ambitions is to form a Saudi women’s skydiving team. This dream came from what she saw abroad. In international and regional competitions, she saw teams representing their countries. She wanted Saudi women to have that opportunity too. Her goal is not only symbolic. It is practical. She wants future women in the sport to avoid the difficulties she faced. She does not want them to struggle alone to find resources, coaching, or training opportunities. She wants to create a pathway where women can learn, develop, compete, and represent the Kingdom with confidence.
This vision reflects the wider transformation happening in Saudi Arabia. Women are entering more sports, taking leadership roles, and building careers in sectors that were once limited or unavailable. Razan’s story shows what inclusion looks like in action. It is not only about celebrating a first. It is about making sure the first becomes the beginning of many more.
Adventure Sports and Saudi Tourism
Razan Al-Ajmi often speaks about Saudi Arabia’s landscapes with pride. She believes the Kingdom has the natural beauty needed to become a strong destination for skydiving and adventure sports. Saudi Arabia has deserts, mountains, seas, islands, and wide open spaces. Each region offers a different view, a different experience, and a different opportunity. For skydiving, this matters. The view is part of the experience. To see the Red Sea from above, to fly over desert landscapes, or to experience Saudi terrain from the sky can turn sport into tourism. It can also turn tourism into national storytelling.
Razan wants people from around the world to come to Saudi Arabia and see the Kingdom from a new angle. Not only from the ground, but from the sky. This connects directly with the growth of Saudi Arabia’s experience economy. Visitors today are not only looking for hotels and landmarks. They are looking for memorable activities, personal challenges, and stories they can carry with them. Skydiving can offer that. It can combine sport, adventure, wellness, tourism, and national identity in one powerful experience.
The Sky is Only the Beginning
Razan Al-Ajmi’s journey began with one decision to try. That first step became a license. The license became a mission. The mission became a business. And the business is now part of a larger dream for Saudi adventure sports. Her story is not only about freefall. It is about building what did not yet exist.
The future of Saudi sport will be shaped by people like Razan Al-Ajmi, athletes who compete, entrepreneurs who build, and leaders who see possibility where others see limits.
Follow Riyada Hub for real progress, sharp insights, and weekly inspiration.
