Nike Middle East released a new commercial featuring Muslim female athletes has set a firestorm on social media. The said ad shows the athletes training and excelling in their respective sports. It begins with a young woman adorned with a hijab stepping out of her home to run. Despite hesitation seen on her face, the lady runner gradually accelerates her speed as she passes by different individuals looking at her as if saying that she should tame herself.
The video continues to show women who do several sporting activities which include skateboarding, running, boxing, ice skating, swimming, parkouring, horse riding, and motor racing.
Famous Emirati Parkour Featured On Nike Ad
For world sports fanatics, one familiar face that can be seen in the advertisement is the famous parkour Amal Mourad from United Arab Emirates.
When asked about how it is to be a female athlete in her country, she said that the hardest part is convincing her father. Though challenged by his resistance at first, Mourad was able to get her father’s support. At present, she teaches at a mix-gender gym.
Nike’s Powerful Advertisement
Even if the whole advertisement is in Arabic, a plurality of netizens said that the video is powerful enough to show what women can do, how they can achieve their dreams, and how they can continue to break stereotypes, whether in sports or in other aspects of their lives.
In local Arab culture, women can rarely be seen exercising in public. Furthermore, there are very few gyms which only cater to women. These gyms do not have complete facilities and are said to be more expensive than gyms for men.
Nike Air Max 1 Atmos Elephant
One of the most loved shoe models of Nike is the Atmos Elephant which was voted by fans for a retro this year. However, it is not sure if Nike will release a special edition for women.
