DUBAI, UAE, 14 November 2003 — Qatar’s new Middle East champion, Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah, and the young fellow-countryman tipped to follow him to the Middle East title, will both be looking to round of the season with a flourish in next month’s Dubai International Rally. Al-Attiyah has confirmed his place in the final round of the regional series in Dubai on Dec. 4-5.
While Al-Attiyah plans to use the event to test a brand new Subaru Impreza World Rally Car in readiness for next year’s championship, another Qatari, Abdulaziz Al Kuwairi, still holds hope that he can finish his first competitive season with a Middle East title.
The son of former rally driver and Qatar Motorsport Federation official Sadoon Al Kuwairi, Abdulaziz is not to be confused with his cousin, Abdullah Al Kuwairi, although that is precisely what has happened in this year’s Middle East Group N title race. Abdulaziz was briefly credited with championship points actually won by Abdullah in this year’s Jordan International Rally, a mistake that has now been corrected.
“It would be nice to keep Abdullah’s points, but unfortunately I can’t do that,” grinned Abdulaziz, who drives a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6. “It means that to take the title I must win Group N in Dubai, and Abdullah Al Qassimi must not finish.”
His father, who will be traveling to Dubai to support him, has no doubt about his son’s potential. “He’s a champion of the future,” he said. “If he gets the right support over the next couple of years, he will become the new star of Middle East rallying.”
The 2003 Dubai International Rally is being held under the patronage of of Ahmed ibn Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Department. Completing the Qatari challenge in Dubai will be Rached Al Hajri, son of Saeed Al Hajri, who started his country’s run of Middle East success by winning the first regional series in 1984, retaining the title the following year.
Qatar’s Hamad Al Thani won the title in 1993 when he finished level on points with Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah but came out on top because of his victory in the longest round of the series.
