Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2025

Saudi driver Al-Rajhi, new World Champion Walkner chase first wins in Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

Saudi driver Al-Rajhi, new World Champion Walkner chase first wins in Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

Saudi Arabia’s top driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi and new FIM world bikes champion Matthias Walkner have both set their sights on a maiden victory in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge when the event marks its 30th anniversary next week.
Partnered by British co-driver Michael Orr in a Toyota Hilux Overdrive, Al-Rajhi is aiming for a second triumph in the UAE this year after the pair combined to win the Dubai International Baja back in February.

Austrian KTM star Walkner, who secured this year’s FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship with second place in Morocco last month, hopes to go one better as the 2021 series reaches its conclusion in the UAE.

The Emirates Motorsports Organization today announced the international entry list for the 2021 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, which gets under way in the UAE capital next Saturday with the drivers’ title in the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies hanging in the balance.

Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah (61pts), who pursues a third Desert Challenge success, will be up against his three remaining title rivals in Al-Rajhi (44pts), Argentinian Lucio Alvarez (42pts) and Russian Denis Krotov (37.5pts) in the penultimate World Cup round.

Al Attiyah, accompanied by Mathieu Baumel in a Toyota Hilux, could also come under pressure from Poland’s 2018 World Cup drivers’ champion, Jakub Przygonski, in a MINI John Cooper Works Buggy.

Over the years, Yahya Al-Helei has often out performed some of the world’s top drivers in his home event, and the Emirati, remarkably, starts his 30th consecutive Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge alongside Khalid Al Kendi in a Nissan Pick up.

With the final World Cup round remaining in Saudi Arabia next month, two other FIA titles will be in the balance during Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, and rally founder Mohammed Ben Sulayem anticipates another fiercely competitive five days of action on the Al Dhafra desert stages.

“There is always a lot at stake in this event, and the fact that we’ve reached our 30th edition adds to the appeal of the rally,” said Ben Sulayem, President of the Emirates Motorsports Organization and FIA Vice President for Sport. “It’s a memorable occasion for everyone taking part, from the top competitors to the many volunteers who help to make it happen.”

Spain’s Cristina Gutierrez, who leads the FIA T3 title battle in an Overdrive OT3, can expect pressure from her three closest challengers, compatriot Fernando Alvarez, Russian Pavel Lebedev and another Spaniard, Jose Luis Pena Campo.

It’s a similar story in the FIA T4 category, with World Cup leader Austin Jones from the US looking to fight off Dutchman Kees Koolen, Italy’s Eugenio Amos and Poland’s Aron Domzala, the top four all at the wheel of CAN-AM Mavericks.

Ross Branch, the rider from Botswana who won this year’s FIM World Championship opening round in Kazakhstan, joins fellow Yamaha stars Andrew Short and Adrien Van Beveren in trying to prevent a 22nd KTM bikes triumph in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

Among the leading Arab riders relishing another chance to rival the top factory team stars are the UAE’s Mohammed Al Balooshi, winner of the 2018 FIM Bajas World Cup who has just finished fourth this year, Kuwait’s Shatti Abdullah and Saudi’s Alghuneim Mishal.

Italian Carlo Cabini starts the event on a Honda leading both the FIM Rally 2 Group 1 standings as well as the Adventure Trophy category for riders competing without any assistance.

Meanwhile, Poland’s multiple world quads champion Rafal Sonik must fight off Argentina’s Manuel Andujar, his big rival in this year’s FIM title race, if he is to record a third Desert Challenge victory.

Competing in the event for the first time in the FIM SSV category are two Israeli crews, Roy Bartov alongside Guy Roy, and Tal and David Galimidi, in a pair of Can-Am Maverick X3s.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
×