Dubai: Four Emirati members of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE’s (ATCUAE) family of motorsport volunteers have become the first UAE nationals to qualify as officials to run and adjudicate at national and international motorcycle events staged within the Emirates.

Mohammad Al Shatri, Saeed Al Marzouqi, Mohammad Al Hashmi and Tuaiba Al Darmaki have each received Clerk of the Course Licenses issued by the FIM, the international motorcycling federation.

The licenses were presented by Dr Mohammad Bin Sulayem, President of the ATCUAE, the national motorsport authority and official representative of the FIM in the country.

“This is another significant step forward in our efforts to make the UAE fully self-sufficient in the running of motorsport even to the highest international standards, with an emphasis on safety for all involved,” Bin Sulayem said.

Al Shatri, Al Marzouqi, Al Hashmi and Al Darmaki were awarded their FIM licenses after coming through a demanding two-day course supervised by the FIM in the UAE last month.

“It was an in-depth examination of their knowledge of the latest FIM rules and regulations for international events,” Bin Sulayem said. “They were trained here in the UAE and we’re as proud of their achievement as they all are.”

The four Emiratis, and a growing number of other UAE nationals, are among more than 1,000 volunteers within the UAE Motorsport Marshals Club, set up by the ATCUAE in 2009 to manage and promote the growth of a national framework of motorsport officials and run events.

The FIM licenses allow them to now operate at motorcycle events as Clerk of the Course, the key official in charge of all on-track operations, including management of safety and rescue teams.

They are also able to work as event stewards, who interpret incidents and decide whether penalties or fines should be issued, while also overseeing the activities of the Clerk of the Course.

The UAE has a growing calendar of competitive motorcycle events, highlighted by the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, a round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, but also including 600cc and rookies classes, as well as the National and Club Motocross series.