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Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, today flagged off the eighth edition of the Dubai International Baja organised by the Emirates Motorsport Organisation (EMSO) in collaboration with the Dubai Sports Council.
UAE’s oldest motorsport event
The oldest motorsport event in the UAE, the Dubai International Baja, is a world-class cross-country rally that brings together racers from all over the world. Coinciding with celebrationsto mark the 53rd Eid Al Etihad, the event is being held from 28 November to 1December. Based at the Dubai Festival City, the Dubai International Baja is held over a demanding course with its starting point in the beautiful and rugged landscape of Hatta before it enters the challenging dunes of the Al Qudra desert in Dubai.
Emirati inspiration
The Dubai International Baja this year features the participation of a record 65 cars and 32 bikes from 37 countries. The event is being broadcast in 190 territories around the world.
The event was attended by His Excellency Saeed Hareb, Secretary General, Dubai Sports Council; Mohammed Ahmed benSulayem, President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the Emirati who is the record holder for most victories in the event with 15; and Omar Abdullah Al Futtaim, Vice Chairman and CEO of the Al Futtaim Group.
Featured in the calendars of both the 2024 FIA World Baja Cup and the 2024 FIM Bajas World Cup, the Dubai International Baja also marks the season finale for bothprestigious championships. The event is expected to provide an exhilarating culmination to the season, deciding the FIA World Cup and many individual classes. As a premier off-road motorsport event held in the UAE, the Dubai International Baja is also celebrating 45 years since its inception as the Dubai International Rally in 1979. Now in its eighth edition under the Baja format, the event draws top competitors from around the globe to tackle the challenging dunes of Dubai.
Popular format
The event has been organised by the EMSO (formerly ATCUAE) since 1997. The introduction of the shorter Baja format better suited to desert terrain meant that the event could feature buggies, bikes and quads as well as cars, a development which has added greatly to the entertainment value and led to a flood of entrants from all around the region and the world.
Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed and organised by the EMSO in collaboration with the Dubai Sports Council, the Baja is supported by 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.
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