Emirati racer Alia Abdulsalam delivered a strong showing in free practice and the time trial at the Scandinavian Formula 4 Powerboat Championship opening round according to a WAM dispatch from Oslo on August 19 2025. The driver for Team Mubadala posted her new personal best of 48.34 seconds even as a technical malfunction barred her from competing in the principal race. That result represented a significant step in her development during what WAM described as an important milestone ahead of further international outings.
Team Mubadala has organised a brief training camp in the Norwegian town of Sonja to ready Abdulsalam for the Italy round set for September 15 the WAM report stated. Abdulsalam told the agency that the mechanical problem arose unexpectedly in a high-pressure environment yet the Norway appearance still advanced her preparation. The 23-year-old has competed in the Formula 4 Powerboat World Championship rounds in Norway and Italy over recent seasons.
Abdulsalam became the first Emirati woman to obtain an international driving licence for Formula 4 powerboats a milestone supported by the UAE Water Sport Federation and the Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club according to her official team biography. Her father Abdul Salam Fairooz a former powerboat competitor and organiser from the 1990s provided early inspiration and later helped establish her racing team after coaches in Norway recognised her aptitude. Khaleej Times reported that she finished 11th out of 17 boats in one world championship round and placed 19th overall among 33 competitors worldwide.
In domestic competition Abdulsalam achieved a sixth-place finish in one round of the UAE Formula 4 championship Aletihad News Center noted in an August 2025 profile. She has spoken about the added challenge of racing as the lone woman on the grid recalling an instance in which she overtook three male competitors on the final lap. “I realised then that victory doesn’t recognise gender only determination” Abdulsalam said in remarks carried by Khaleej Times.
Mubadala joined as title partner for her 2025 season through the Mubadala Excellence Programme which backs Emirati talent across sports and other fields the same Aletihad News Center article explained. The partnership has enabled Abdulsalam to train under experienced European coaches including Frode Sundsdal in Norway where she first tested a Formula 4 boat in 2021. She has emphasised the need for rapid decision-making physical conditioning and mental resilience to succeed in the discipline.
Abdulsalam’s recent times have shown steady progress including an improvement on her previous national record to one minute three seconds during an Italian round Emirates 24|7 reported earlier this month. That performance placed her third-fastest in the session amid a field that included former world champions. Her team continues to target additional sanctioned rounds under the Union Internationale Motonautique as she enters her third full season of competitive powerboat racing.
