As one of the anticipated events, Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2021 is now entering the final stages, the focus of the cross-country rallying world is now on the UAE. The final countdown of the 30th edition of the exciting event has now begun and all the riders have started gathering in the UAE to participate in it. Read on and find more details about the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge2021 such as history, timing, venue and more.
History of Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
The UAE Desert Challenge is one of the most esteemed cross country rallies, founded back in 1991. The event was headed by Emirati Motorsport and Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the Automobile & Touring Club of the United Arab Emirates (ATCUAE) President and a former rally driver. The race is about point scoring for FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship and FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup.
Many big names were part of the event and tackle the dunes of the UAE, such as Heinz Kinigadner, Carlos Sainz and Ari Vatenan.
The UAE Desert Challenge was renamed in March 2009 as Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. It is a five days motorsports event organised by the Abu Dhabi Government and EMSO. The event celebrated its 29th anniversary in 2019; whereas, in 2020 the rally championship was cancelled in the light of Covid-19. But now, the 2021 event is returning after becoming a bigger and better version of it.
In previous years, the event has witnessed quad-bike, motorbike, truck and four-wheel competitors’ battles cross-emirate stages; now, in 2021 the event has migrated to the Abu Dhabi deserted areas.
The Sneak Peak of Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2021
The 30th edition of the rally raid Abu Dhabi desert challenge will be held under the support of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The event is going to be the penultimate round of the FIA World Cup for the Cross Country Rally Championship 2021. The desert championship will leave a strong impact on the FIA World Cup, where the final round will be organised in Saudi Arabia.
Yas Marina Circuit is one of the top places that attracts car enthusiasts in the UAE. It is also the official HQ for the rally, where all the participating cars, bikes, buggies and quads have started assembling. The new route has also been laid out in Al Dhafra Region for the preparation for their arrival.
The desert stages of 251km, 262km, 333km, 293km and 216km are centred and accommodate 800 strong competitors, officials, media, technicians and other staff. With the help of 200 people, the bare desert location is now transformed into a rally village that will serve five nights as the event’s active desert base. All the credit goes to the UAE Government officials and EMSO to protect the desert environment close to the Qasr Al Sarab Resort. They helped in setting up the venue and the bivouacs.
Once all the participants of the rally will arrive, teams from Tadweer and Al Dhafra Municipality will provide 24/7 maintenance of the site where they ensure no oil leakage and littering in the desert.
The competitors will face some of the world’s most enormous dunes and they will not have to wait longer since the second of five desert stages into the Liwa Valleys for the classic cross country rally examination. While the following leg days will combine to form a marathon stage for bikes where no outside assistance will be allowed in between. With the help of the below-mentioned information, you can schedule your presence at the event.
- Abu Dhabi desert challenge will kick-off from November 5, 2021, to November 11, 2021
- Abu Dhabi desert challenge location: Liwa Deserts of the Empty Quarter
- Abu Dhabi desert challenge timings: All-day
- Website
- Contact number: +971-4-2961122
The event will be based at Yas Marina Circuit where participants will face two days of documentation and scrutiny for cars, buggies, bikes and quads. Later in the afternoon, they began to perform at Super Special Stage on part of the Grand Prix circuit. The Abu Dhabi desert challenge will finish back at Yas Marina Circuit at 12.30 pm on Thursday 11 November.
Who is participating in the 2021 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
There are some big national and international drivers participating this year. Some of them include:
- Sebastian Loeb: A rally legend with 9-time world rally champion, a podium finish in Dakar and this his first attempt at the ADDC.
- Nani Roma: Dakar winner on both two and four-wheels.
- Nasser Al Attiyah: One of the most prolific drivers to come from the GCC. Three-time winner of the Dakar.
- Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi: Member of the Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah Royal Family and a Middle East Rally Champion.
- Yahya Al Helei: This is his 30th year participating known as the desert fox
Racing Categories Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2021
FIA titles for which the rally counts are:
- One World Cup for Drivers
- One World Cup for Co-Drivers
- One World Cup for Teams
- One FIA Cup for T2 Drivers
- One FIA Cup for T2 Teams
- One FIA Cup for T3 Drivers
- One FIA Cup for T3 Teams
- One FIA Trophy for drivers of two-wheel cars
- One FIA Trophy for two-wheel-drive cars manufacturer
In a normal year, spectators can come to watch the ceremonial start and finish at Yas Marina Circuit. The website also publishes spectator maps of the route out in the desert for them to drive and to watch at various points. Unfortunately, this year the website will not be publishing the spectator maps and the best way to follow the race would be through social media, i.e. Facebook.
Participants show their racing skills by using some of the popular pickups such as the Toyota Hilux and F150 Raptor. If you are interested in buying any of the racing models or other used cars for sale in the UAE then do check out the listings available on dubizzle. Besides, popular racing vehicles such as used Toyota Huilx for sale and second hand Ford F-Series Pickup are also available for sale here.
With this, we end the guide on Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2021. If you are interested in exploring some ultimate options for off-roading in Abu Dhabi, give this guide a read.
We hope that you can enjoy the event online. Stay tuned to the UAE’s top auto blog to get more updates on the exciting events.
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