 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.Al-Sabah started competing in 1999; she decided to try for the NPC Figure Nationals after winning the Monica Brant Fitness Classic in 2001.