The Saudi Arabian Motor Federation (SAMF) has now finalized the dates and is working on the final route format for the 2014 Hail International Cross-Country Rally, an FIA-sanctioned event that will run through the north-central region of the Kingdom from March 21 to 27.

The ninth event of its kind will be based at the Maghwat Conference Center in Hail and will continue the tradition of offering competitors the challenge of tackling some of the most difficult desert terrain in the Middle East.

The event is being staged under the patronage of Prince Saud bin Abdul Mohsen, governor of Hail, president of the Supreme Commission for Hail Development and the head of the Supreme Commission of the Hail Rally. The SAMF runs under the chairmanship of Prince Sultan bin Bandar Al-Faisal and the event is being organized in conjunction with the High Authority for the Development of Hail.

Entries are now open for the rally, which has been extended to a competitive distance of around 1,200 kilometers. Prince Sultan also announced a support program for competitors where Saudi drivers will not pay entry fees and a 50 percent discount will be offered to other competing teams.

“We are hoping to continue to encourage youngsters to participate in this sport and grow their experience,” said Prince Sultan. “The event is officially registered in the FIA calendar as an international status rally and our team is making it harder and more difficult than in previous years.”

The event will be run by race director and SAMF general secretary Anwar Helmi and offers a wide variety of desert terrain, including gravel trails, sand dunes, wadis, areas of tricky navigation and the passing of small oasis farms.

After running as a small national event in 2006, Hail Rally gained international status in 2007 and was won by Rajeh Al-Shammeri in a Toyota Land Cruiser. It quickly became one of the most popular events in the Middle East and Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah, driving a BMW X3 CC, took the first of his two victories in 2008 when it became a round of the FIA Baja Cup.

Saudi ace Yazeed Al-Rajhi triumphed in an Overdrive Nissan Navara in 2009 and a Mitsubishi Racing Lancer the following year, before Al-Attiyah returned to the top of the podium with a factory Volkswagen Race Touareg in 2011.

Al-Rajhi won in a Mini All4 Racing two years ago and Czech competitor Miroslav Zapletal became the first non-Arab winner in his Hummer last year. Bikes and quads were also allowed to compete in 2013 and the Emirati duo of Khalid Al-Falaisi and Atif Al-Zarouni won the respective categories on a pair of Hondas.

Further information is available from the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation, PO Box 87881, Riyadh 11652, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tel: + 9661 288 5855, Fax: + 9661 288 3882, E-mail: [email protected]. Visit the websites:
http://www.samf.gov.sa and http://www.hailrally.com.sa/ar/