Dubai: The 32nd Dubai International Rally, taking place over the UAE National Day weekend, will be held under the patronage of Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Arts and Culture Authority.
Shaikh Majid will officially launch the rally, the final round of the 2010 FIA Middle East Rally Championship, at a ceremonial event which is set to start on Emaar Boulevard beside The Palace in the Old Town Island, Dubai at 7.30pm on UAE National Day, December 2.
Earlier in the evening he will attend a VIP, competitor and media reception being hosted by FIA vice-president Mohammad Bin Sulayem, President of the rally organisers, the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), at the Armani Hotel, in Burj Khalifa.
"We are indebted to Shaikh Majid for his support and look forward to playing our part in the National Day celebrations," said Sulayem.
"Like his father, who is the club's patron and has supported the Dubai International Rally for many years, Shaikh Majid is very enthusiastic about the rally, particularly as it is one of the longest running international sporting events in the UAE."
Desert trails
Following the ceremonial start, the rally heads out into the desert trails outside Dubai the next morning to begin two days of special stage action leading to the finish back in the Old Town, Island Dubai at 4.30pm on December 4.
The Dubai International Rally has attracted an entry of 54 drivers and co-drivers from 12 countries in the Middle East and overseas and will once more decide the FIA Middle East Championship.
For the first time in its history, the rally has its official base within a college campus — at the Higher Colleges of Technology in Academic City Dubai to give students an insight into the staging of an international motor sport event.
