JEDDAH: Officials at the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation (SAMF) have confirmed that the 2009 Saudi Arabian Hail Baja or Hail Rally 2009 will run as the opening round of the 2009 FIA International Cup for Cross-Country Bajas in the Nafud desert, near Hail, in the north-central region of Saudi Arabia from Jan. 26-29.
Saudi Arabia’s premier off-road event has moved back in the FIA off-road calendar to accommodate the new Northern Forest Rally in Russia and the three-day motor sport bonanza remains the only round of the FIA Baja series to take place outside Europe.
It is being organized by the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation with the support of Prince Saud bin Abdul Mohsen bin Abdul Aziz, governor of Hail, president of the Supreme Commission for Hail Development and the head of the Supreme Commission of the Hail Rally.
The Saudi Hail Baja entered the FIA championship for the first time in 2008 and was won by Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and French co-driver Matthieu Baumel, the winning co-driver in the recent Sharqia Rally in the Eastern Province. There are again six rounds in the popular FIA Baja series, with the Hail event being joined by rounds in Russia, Italy, Spain, Hungary and Portugal in the 2009 calendar.
“Motorsport is becoming increasingly-popular in Saudi Arabia and we have just run a successful special stage rally in the Eastern Province, which will enter the FIA Middle East Rally Championship in 2009,” said Mishaal Al-Sudairy, Riyadh-based chairman of the organizing committee. The special stage rally has already been given an April 7-9 slot in the year’s regional series.
“Our Hail Baja is now an established round of the FIA Baja championship and we are delighted to have been chosen to get the new Baja calendar year under way again. We welcome competitors from every country to come and sample our hospitality and the unique challenge that our beautiful country will provide in terms of a testing route and challenging special stages,” he added.
Hail Baja clerk of the course Elie Semaan has confirmed that the Prologue stage will be extended to around four or five kilometers in 2009, although he admits that stages on legs two and three are similar to those used in 2008 and will again feature a fine balance of sand dunes, faster sandy terrain and several technical and twisty sections. “This region of the Kingdom is blessed with some superb terrain for Baja-type rallying,” said Semaan. “We are able to benefit from some spectacular and excellent stages.”
The event will be based at the Maghwat facility on the outskirts of Hail once again and the official event timetable will get under way with scrutinizing and documentation on Jan. 26.
The ceremonial start and official Prologue will take place on Jan. 27 and the off-road competitive action will take place over two legs in the Nafud desert on Jan. 28 and 29, with the ceremonial prize giving.
Non-Saudi teams participating in the Hail Baja will be offered $2500 and accommodation, while event officials will also arrange visa formalities, where necessary.
