With the successful staging of the Abu Dhabi Rally yesterday, the capital has now moved a step closer to being included as a round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) from next season.
However, Abu Dhabi, Oman and Iran, who all had their trial events last month, will have to wait until the FIA General Assembly meeting in December in Doha to officially begin celebrating their inclusion in the regional rally series. Abu Dhabi last held a MERC round in 2006.
FIA vice president in charge of Middle East and North Africa region, Nasser Khalifa Al Attiyah, who spoke to Sport360° on Thursday morning, said: “Now that the event is over, I will receive a report from the observer which I will then place before the General Assembly in December.
“There are rules and regulations in place and only after the General Assembly approves the inclusion of Abu Dhabi [in the MERC], will it be incorporated officially in the 2015 calendar. Currently, Abu Dhabi has been given a provisional date and I am hopeful this will be confirmed.”
Al Attiyah added: “Abu Dhabi is very strong and the infrastructure here is of the highest quality. The organisation too is very professional and the Emirate has a very strong rallying history.”
The FIA vice president, who was impressed with the way the event was organised, further said: “I not only support the Abu Dhabi Rally, but all rallies in the region.
“Moreover, I have full confidence in Sheikh Khalid [Al Qassimi] because he is an experienced driver and knows what is required [for a successful event]. Also, there is strong backing from the government of Abu Dhabi.”
Asked what he hopes to achieve by expanding the regional series from the current six to nine rounds from next season, Al Attiyah said: “It’s good to have more rallies in the Middle East and open up the market. We will discover the markets, new young drivers, companies and suppliers around the region.
“This [expansion] will add big value. We are lucky that we have two F1 rounds in [Bahrain and Abu Dhabi], four rounds of the Cross Country Rally; we want to increase the number of motor sport events in the region.
“Also, these and more events mean drivers will have more options to choose from.”
Al Attiyah added that he is keen to discover new regional talent and see them excel on the world stage, both off-road and circuit.
To illustrate his point, the FIA official noted that currently the region boasts drivers at the WRC level in Nasser Al Attiyah, Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi, Yazeed Rajhi of Saudi Arabi and Abdullah Al Kuwari.
So does he foresee a Middle East driver ever winning the FIA World Rally Championship title?
Al Attiyah said: “Nasser Al Attiyah is leading the cross country championship and the MERC. He is also close to winning the WRC 2. His aim is to win three titles this year.”
Speaking from the economic point of view, Al Attiyah pointed out that more events mean suppliers to the motor sport industry will get more business, as well as the airlines and hotels.
“Moreover, I want to prove that my region is the best in the world.”
By increasing the number of motor sport activities in the region, Al Attiyah is hoping the FIA will extend greater financial support to countries in the Middle East.
Looking to the future, Al Attiyah said he is going to make road safety a big priority because “it is a big issue in the region.”
He added: “It’s important to educate young drivers to drive safely and help reduce the number of accidents; they must learn to enjoy their lives.”
