Bazaar Beliefs: Sumaya Rida On Her Biggest Achievement, Most Memorable Life Experiences And The Key To Success
From her defining career moment to expressing her greatest joy, the Saudi Arabian actress shares her words of wisdom with Bazaar
After appearing in new KSA action series Rashash as Ayda, and two films, Rupture and Junoon, hitting screens soon, Saudi actress Sumaya Rida’s star is rapidly on the rise.
Here, she shares with Bazaar insight into her greatest inspirations; what she admires most in others; and how a clear intention, coupled with a focused mind, can set you up to accomplish great things in life.
Defining career moment?
I remember the day when I decided to shift my career from business and management to acting. It was a memorable day when I actually and finally made that tough decision.
Describe yourself in three words…
Spiritual, kind, patient
What part of your work are you most proud of?
Teamwork and group effort that make wonderful shows and movies.
What inspires you most about your job?
To understand the feelings that make us human, and most importantly to honour them by delivering those feelings to the audience.
Best piece of advice to yourself, your child or to someone launching in your field?
Speak your mind and stand up for what you believe in!
Biggest sense of achievement?
Being able to emote the cool, modern Muslim woman who is smart, beautiful and confident. To inspire the younger female generation to pursue their dreams and to work towards them.
What do you still want to learn and why?
I am looking forward to reaching a higher level of self-understanding and confidence. To be able to learn about different sides of myself and accept them, and particularly to be able to work with the camera in harmony and befriend it.
Which experience in life taught you most about yourself and why?
Travelling regularly taught me to respect other cultures, beliefs, and ideologies even if they contradict mine. It taught me that life happens everywhere, all the time… so it’s up to us how we live it.
What are you most passionate about and why?
Experiencing joy in all its forms.
Who or what feeds your soul?
Allah, prayers, Dua, doing good, and counting my blessings.
The values you most admire in others?
I really admire people who are focused towards achieving what they want with good will and hard work.
What do you most frequently dream about?
Going out in nature.
What key lessons have you learnt and who taught them to you?
Never judge a person by their appearance. I learned this from a stranger.
The key to success is…
Clear intention and a focused mind.
The future is…
Bright!
My greatest joy is…
Family.
Luxury is…
A form of abundance.
Happiness is…
Simple.
What would you tell your younger self?
Live your moments, don’t rush.
Compiled by Khulood Ahmed
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s October 2021 Issue