As part of its ongoing revival plan in Saudi Arabia, Nissan has taken regional and international motorsport by surprise by sponsoring the Hail International Rally as its official car partner. Hail International Rally, supported and run under the patronage of Prince Saud bin Abdul Muhsin bin Abdulaziz, is one of the oldest and biggest motorsport events in the Kingdom.

Founded in 2006, the rally targets youth and families and, since 2012, it has become an official Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) event, including one of the legs of the FIA Rally Championship.

The prestigious sporting occasion takes place in parallel to Hail Festival, which is a cultural awareness and entertainment themed celebration in which 15 Saudi authorities hold their own activities for the public.

Nissan will be acting as the official car partner and has a host of activities lined up to entertain the fans, including a Nissan-sponsored team, which will compete in the rally.

Event attendees also have the chance to test drive a wide selection of Nissan models as well as experience the 4x4 lineup on the specially designed and built 4X4 track.

At the Nissan on-ground center at Hail, guests will be able to experience the thrill of GT Academy by taking part in time trial competitions with a winner selected each day.

Samir Cherfan, MD, Nissan Middle East said: “At Nissan, we stand for innovation and excitement. We always seek to engage with the public and in our capacity as main car partner at the Hail International Rally, we aim to get hearts pumping and give racing enthusiasts a huge adrenaline rush. At Nissan, our competitive streak is infectious and we want everyone to have an exciting and memorable experience.”

Najeeb Alissa, chairman, Alissa Auto, Nissan authorized dealer in the Kingdom, said: “Alissa is thrilled that Nissan is taking the initiative to partner an event of such magnitude and give an opportunity to many people in the Kingdom to interact with the Nissan Brand.”