| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Ice Princess in Hijab |
| Full Name | Zahra Fadhel Abbas Mohammed Lari |
| Profession | Figure Skater |
| Famous for | First international figure skater from United Arab Emirates and Middle East |
| Physical Stats | |
| Height (approx.) | 5' 4" (163 cm) |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Figure Skating | |
| International Debut | Junior- European Cup, Canazei, Italy (2012) Senior- FBMA (Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy) Trophy (now Abu Dhabi Classic Trophy) (2014) |
| Coach/Mentor | • Bohdan Berezenko • Bianca Padar • Alexandra Levleva  • Zsolt Kerekes  • Emilia Ahsan • Victor Kudryavstev  |
| Records (main ones) | • 2023: Guinness World record for the most upright spins (63) while ice-skating in the duration of 1 minute |
| Awards | • 2019: Athlete Achievement Award 2018-2019 at the UAE Higher Education Sports Federation • 2017: Stylist Arabia Award  • 2017: Arab Woman Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Sports  • 2016: Young Arab Award in the category sports  • 2016: Femina Woman's Award in the category sports  |
| Medals | • 2021: Gold Medal at the FBMA Trophy for Figure Skating by the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy in association with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council ands UAE Ice Sports Federation • 2017: Winner of the FBMA Trophy for Figure Skating by the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy in association with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council ands UAE Ice Sports Federation  • 2013: Three Gold Medals and one silver medal at UAE Open Championship in Dubai • 2013: Winner of the 24th Edition of the Sportland Trophy held in Budapest  • 2012: Gold Medal at the Desert Open Figure Skating Championship  |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 3 March 1995 (Friday) |
| Age (as of 2025) | 30 Years |
| Birthplace | Abu Dhabi |
| Zodiac sign | Pisces |
| Signature |  |
| Nationality | Emirati |
| Hometown | Abu Dhabi |
| School | American International School in Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE |
| College/University | Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi, UAE |
| Educational Qualifications | Bachelor's degree in Environmental Health and Safety |
| Religion | Islam |
| Food Habit | Non-vegetarian |
| Hobbies | Reading, Swimming |
| Social Media | • Instagram • YouTube |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Marriage Date | 29 October 2020 |
| Family | |
| Husband/Spouse | Obaid Saeed Al-Shahmi |
| Children | Daughter- Salama |
| Parents | Father- Fadhel lari Mother- Roquiya Cochran  |
| Siblings | Brother- • Ahmed Lari  • Ali Lari  |
| Favourites | |
| Skater(s) | Michelle Kwan, Kristi Yamaguchi |
| Fruit | Papaya |
Some Lesser-Known Facts About Zahra Lari
- Zahra Lari’s mother is from North Carolina, USA. She was raised in Abu Dhabi, UAE and occasionally visited her maternal family in the USA.
A young Zarha Lari during a visit to the USA
- She developed an interest in figure skating at the young age of eleven after watching the Disney film Ice Princess (2005). She liked how the sport blended her liking for art with athletics.
- According to her, though her father had some initial reservations regarding the sport, he extended his complete support after recognising her passion.
- She was the first international figure skater who wear a hijab during the competition.
Zarha Lari wearing a hijab during a competition
- She lost points for wearing the hijab during her debut international competition for the European Cup in Italy. She appealed to the International Skating Union (ISU, the global governing body for various forms of ice skating competitions), and they granted permission for participants to wear hijabs (headscarves) during the competitions.
- As a junior figure skater in 2013, she participated in several international competitions, including the Dubai Golden Cup (in 7th place) and New Year’s Cup (in 11th place).
- In 2013, she attended the annual winter sports training programme for international students, Dream Program, held in Gangwon, Korea.
Zahra Lari with fellow trainees at the Dream Program in Gangwon, Korea
- In 2014, she was placed 4th in the FBMA Trophy (now Abu Dhabi Classic Trophy), a significant achievement in her career.
- She has supported several social causes. She was the ambassador of the Galleria Annual Breast Cancer Campaign in 2014.
Zahra Lari as the Ambassador for The Galleria breast cancer campaign
- In 2014, a short documentary, Ice Flower, was released on Zahra Lari. The film won first place in its category at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival (formerly Middle East International Film Festival).
Zahra Lari with the Abu Dhabi Film Festival Award for the film Ice Flower
- She is one of the founding members of the Emirates Skating Club, the first of its kind in the United Arab Emirates, established in 2015. She has been serving as its Chief Executive Officer. She is also a mentor and instructor at the club.
Zahra Lari at the office of Emirates Skating Club with her child
- She participated in fewer competitions between 2015 and 2016 due to physical injury.
- In 2018, she was featured as one of the Muslim athletes in a Nike advertisement campaign.
- She lost in the qualifying competition for the 2018 Winter Olympics at the Nebelhorn Trophy hosted by the German Ice Skating Union.
- She was the first Emirati to compete in the Winter Universiade in 2019.
Zahra Lari (right) with her coach at the Winter Universiade 2019
- In 2019, she served as a member of the Special Olympics Athlete Engagement Committee and was the torch bearer at the Special Olympics MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Games.
- She was featured on the Forbes 30 under 30 list, published in the Forbes Middle East in 2020.
Zahra Lari featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list
- In 2021, she collaborated with the music composer Ihab Darwish for an event and to create music for her long programme.
Zahra Lari with music composer Ihab Darwish
- She is a five-time national champion in figure skating for the UAE.
Zahra Lari (left) with her mother after winning the UAE national championship for figure skating
- She has served as the president of the Figure Skating Committee of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Winter Sports Federation since 2022.
- In 2024, she co-authored an autobiographical children’s book, Not Yet. The co-author, Hadley Davis, was the screenwriter of the film Ice Princess (2005).
Zahra Lari (left) with co-author Hadley Davis at the launch of their book, Not Yet
- She follows a rigorous training routine.
Zahra Lari at the gym
- She follows a healthy diet plan to maintain her body weight for the sport.
