Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE to stage the 33rd Dubai International Rally

posted on 16/10/2011: 24 views

To coincide with the 40th anniversary of the United Arab Emirates' National Day, the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) will be staging the 33rd Dubai International Rally, the final round of the 2011 FIA Middle East Rally Championship. The event will take place from the 1st to the 3rd December.

The Dubai International Rally is one of the longest running annual sporting events in the Middle East, and the oldest motorsport event in the UAE. It is held each year on a course on the outskirts of the city, with forays into the neighbouring Emirates of Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. The stature and popularity of the rally has grown over the years, attracting scores of competitors from the region in their quest for ultimate glory.

ATCUAE President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has 15 Dubai International Rally wins to his credit, a feat unlikely to be matched by any driver in the near future. He said :"The Dubai International Rally has a special place in my heart. It was my home event when I was a competitor, and now it is myself and my team at the ATCUAE who organise the event. Every year we try to make the rally bigger and better, and it's great to see what a fantastic event it has become".

In recent years, Qatari driver Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah has ruled at the event and he will hope to make it five wins in a row at the 2011 Dubai International Rally. Among the competitors flying the flag for the UAE this year will be Rashid Al Ketbi and his co-driver Khalid Al Kendi, who will hope to end the Qatari's reign in Dubai.

The event will have its ceremonial start and finish in the shade of the magnificent Burj Khalifa in downtown Dubai, where there will also be an exhibition on the history of the rally, as well as the 4th Emirates Classic Car Show from the 1st to the 3rd December. All events will take place along the Emaar Boulevard. - Emirates News Agency, WAM

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