Dina Al-Sabah

Soon Al-Sabah made a name for herself in the world of figure competitions, winning the 2003 Jan Tana Figure Championships and placing fifth at the inaugural Figure Olympia. These accomplishments have come with their share of scrutiny. Her decision to compete and model has received criticism from conservative Arabs.

Al-Sabah started competing in 1999; she decided to try for the NPC Figure Nationals after winning the Monica Brant Fitness Classic in 2001. When trying to register for the nationals she found out that she had to be a United States citizen in order to be allowed to compete at any of the NPC pro qualifiers. The only way she could compete in the Pro Division of the IFBB was to have recommendation from the Kuwaiti national federation associated with the IFBB. Due to traditional Arab beliefs, women are not allowed to compete in any bodybuilding competitions, and she was denied a recommendation. This did not discourage Al-Sabah, she decided to build her profile as a competitor in hopes that someone would notice her potential. She won several popular NPC competitions in 2002 and brought her case to NPC president Jim Manion and IFBB president Ben Weider. In November 2002, Al-Sabah was granted an IFBB Pro card.

Al-Sabah first started weight training when she moved to London in 1991. As a newcomer to the country, she did not have any friends and had plenty of free time, so she decided to join a gym as a hobby. When she moved to the United States in 1994 to continue her studies at the George Washington University, she took a more active interest in lifting weights and educating herself on weight training and nutrition.

Dina Ali Fahad Al-Salim Al-Sabah (born February 28, 1974) is a professional figure competitor from Kuwait. She is the only female Arab athlete to achieve pro card status as of 2006, as well as the first female Arab athlete to ever stand on the Olympia stage. She is also the only IFBB athlete to have competed in both the Inaugural Figure Olympia in 2003 and the Inaugural Bikini Olympia in 2010.

Al-Sabah was born in Beirut, Lebanon; her mother is of Turkish and Syrian origin, while her father is Kuwaiti, Turkish and East African origin. She was born as a member of the Al-Sabah family; she is close lineage because her grandfather was the son of Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, ruler of Kuwait from 1917 to 1921. The Al-Sabahs have ruled Kuwait for over more than two centuries.