Dubai: Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee. will be the patron of the 36th Dubai International Rally scheduled from November 27-29.
Making the announcement on Tuesday, Mohammad Bin Sulayem, President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, the rally organisers, said: “The Dubai Rally is one of the UAE’s longest running sports events, and we are indebted to His Highness for his support as this ensures the event’s success story continues.”
“The Dubai government has backed the rally from the very beginning and as a result it has an important place in the history of Middle East motorsport.”
Traditionally forming the final round of the Middle East Championship, the rally has produced some dramatic episodes over the last four decades and now promises another fascinating grand finale to the regional series.
After previous rounds in Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon and Cyprus. the UAE’s Shaikh Khalid Al Qasimi, who scored back-to-back wins in Dubai in 2005 and 2006, will be even more determined to record another success on home territory.
The 2004 Middle East title winner is within six points of defending champion Nasser Al Attiyah of Qatar and will be going flat out for victory in Dubai in the hope that it will be enough to carry him to the regional crown.
For a fifth year the Dubai International Rally will be based at Dubai Men’s College, in the Higher Colleges of Technology campus at Academic City, Dubai, which hosts the Rally HQ, media centre and service park, and will also be the venue for pre-event scrutineering.
