· Historic Event and Championship Success for local Star Al Balooshi
· Return to Hatta Proves a Hit With Fans and Competitors
· Dubai International Baja Going from Strength to Strength
· Famous FIA Middle East Baja Cup Victory for Akeel
Dubai, UAE, 7th December 2024: World Cup glory for local rider Mohammed Al Balooshi, home victory in the Quads for Abdulaziz Ahli, boundary-breaking success for Dania Akeel in the Middle East Baja Cup, and the popular return to rallying in Hatta were among the highlights of another Dubai International Baja.
As the sand settles and the crews take a well-earned break at the end of the international off-road rallying season, it’s time to reflect on the successful delivery of another edition of Dubai’s biggest international motorsports off-road event.
There was much to savour in this eighth edition of Dubai International Baja on the 45th anniversary of Dubai’s International Rally. Coinciding as it did with UAE National Day celebrations, it made for an uplifting festival atmosphere across the weekend.
The reintroduction of the rugged roads of Hatta into Dubai’s international rally for the first time since the event switched to Baja competition in 2016 proved to be a masterstroke of route management.
The epic scenery, coupled with the variety and contrast of terrain, was equally stimulating for spectators and competitors, while the breathtaking scenes recorded in video and still photography served to illustrate the serene beauty of one of the UAE’s most spectacular locations.
Capping a wonderful weekend was the significant success recorded by inspirational Saudi star Dania Akeel, who took the win in Dubai among the FIA Middle East Baja Cup contenders. The former motorcycle racer overturned a two-point deficit in the series to win the championship at the final round.
Akeel’s victory in the SSV category helped her achieve overall success in the South Racing Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR, which she shares with co-driver Stéphane Duplé, over Qatar’s Ahmed Fahad Alkuwari.
Alkuwari had to make do with a third-place finish in Dubai behind Kuwait’s Mshari Althefiri and ahead of Abdullah Al-Haydan. Hamad Al-Harbi finished seventh overall in his Nasser Racing Maverick X3, the Saudi driver doing enough to win the Middle East Challenger series in the process.
Saudi’s Maha Hamali slipped down the field after incurring time penalties but still finished second in Challenger behind Hamad Nasser Al-Harbi.
Having already wrapped up the regional Ultimate class title before the final round in Dubai, Akeel opted to drive a South Racing Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR for the final round with co-driver Stéphane Duplé, and it paid huge dividends as she cruised to victory with Alkuwari back in third.
It’s a historic victory for the trailblazing racer who switched to off-road rallying in cars after a serious track motorcycling crash several years ago and marks the first overall FIA Middle East Baja Cup success for a woman racer.
“With this result, we have won the Middle East Baja Championship,” said a delighted Akeel afterwards. “Thanks to South Racing for coming through and helping me out on this last race. The event was challenging with nice dunes and plateaux where she had to change the cap quite a lot. It was a good navigation exercise. The Middle East Cup was very competitive and very interesting.”
Majed Al-Thunayyan and Fahad Al-Sufyani scored another comfortable victory in the Stock category in their Nissan Patrol, a result which also helped secure the overall co-drivers’ title for Al-Sufyani and ensured that Al-Thunayyan finished on the podium in the Drivers’ Championship.
Meanwhile, UAE star Mohammed Al Balooshi is basking in the historic achievement of securing a third win in the FIM Bajas World Cup at his home event, making him the record holder of FIM Baja titles in the Arab world.
Al Balooshi’s controlled ride to second behind Poland’s Konrad Dabrowski in the final round of the series capped a fine year for MX Ride Dubai Yamaha 450 YZF rider and confirms his status as the standout competitor in the series in recent years.
Adding to the joy for UAE fans was Abdulaziz Ahli, who finished on top in the Quads, well clear of all his challengers, while Saudi Arabia’s Hani Al Noumesi took the overall title.
Another comfortable overall success in the cars for the legend that is Nasser Al Attiyah also helped to rubberstamp his status as the undisputed king of Middle East off-road rallying and reaffirm his heartwarming commitment to Dubai’s flagship motorsport event.
“I love Dubai,” the Qatari said simply on the eve of his 13th victory in the event, which he elected to contest in one of his own Nasser Racing T3 Max Challenger class machines after his regular Ultimate class car was unavailable. Capably co-driven by Pablo Moreno, he went on to display his extraordinary command of the Al Qudra dunes as he eased to a second successive and third career success since the event switched to Baja competition.
Another driver who loves Dubai after securing the overall title is the Portuguese pairing Joao Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro, who won the FIA World Baja Cup with second place overall in their X-Raid Mini JCW Team Mini.
In securing the Ultimate class victory and top points for the overall competition, Ferreira completed a hat trick of 2024 international rallying titles, with the World Cup heading to his mantelpiece to join the European Cup and the Portuguese Championship trophy.
For the Emirates Motorsport Organization (EMSO), running the event in collaboration with Dubai Sports Council, the success of the weekend is measured in more than just the bare statistics of the rallying competition.
Following the epic landscape and the spectacular success of the Hatta stage on Friday, the crews of Dubai International Baja turned their attention to the familiar dunes in Al Qudra Desert on Al-Futtaim Toyota Stage 2 and Sunday’s Zayed and Rashid Stage 3.
From Hatta on Friday, through 359 km of driving and riding on Saturday’s Al-Futtaim Toyota Stage 2 to another day of 30 degrees Celsius plus on Sunday’s Zayed and Rashid Stage 3, the competitors completed 867 km on some of the most challenging terrain in the emirate as the Dubai International Baja continued to generate stories of commitment and ability, resilience and strength.
Plans have already commenced for next year’s event and, following the sustained popularity of this year’s event, the future is clearly bright for Dubai International Baja.
Muhammad Khamis Al Muhairi, Vice President of EMSO and the UAE Sports Executive Committee, said: “This has been another exceptional edition of Dubai International Baja and I’m extremely proud of the collective spirit of cooperation and commitment which has helped to deliver a world-class event here in Dubai.”
“The addition of Hatta to the route, among other innovations, has added a new dimension to an already very popular rally, and it provided a fitting conclusion to the Middle Eastern international motorsport season. I would like to thank all of our partners and stakeholders for their continued support of this wonderful competition, and I look forward to seeing old friends and new at next year’s Dubai International Baja, preparation for which has already begun.”
The Dubai International Baja was held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai. Run in tandem with the UAE’s National Day celebrations, it benefited from the support of Official Automotive Partner Al-Futtaim Toyota, Energy Partner ENOC, and the strategic collaboration of the Dubai Government and its entities, including the Dubai Police, RTA, and Dubai Municipality.
This classic event started out as the Dubai International Rally in 1979 before turning into a Baja in 2016. This year’s eighth edition – run by the Emirates Motorsport Organization (EMSO) in collaboration with Dubai Sports Council – featured a record entry of 65 drivers and 32 riders from a total of 37 countries.
-ENDS-