RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian Motor Federation (SAMF) has confirmed the format of the 2016 Hail International Rally, which will run through the north-central region of the Kingdom March 9-14.

Rally officials have confirmed that registration is now open for motorcycle and car competitors. Administration and documentation will take place at the Maghwat Conference Center on the outskirts of Hail on March 8 and scrutineering will follow on March 9.

Organizers have then laid on a timed super special stage in close proximity to the start area on March 10 and this precedes four selective sections through the An Nafud deserts on March 11-14. The terrain has been carefully chosen to include sections of sand dunes, rocky tracks, softer sand and wadis.

The rally is being staged under the patronage 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 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.

Hail started as a small club event in 2006, rapidly expanded and became a full international the following year. It was a candidate for the FIA International Cross-Country Cup for Bajas in 2007 and took its place as a round of the prestigious FIA series in 2008 and 2010. It runs as a stand-alone FIA sanctioned rally on this occasion in its 11th year.

After the success of the small national event in 2006, the Ha’il Rally gained international status in 2007 and was won by the local driver Rajeh Al-Shammeri in a Toyota Land Cruiser. Its popularity grew quickly as motor sport blossomed in the Kingdom and two-time Dakar Rally winner Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah won in a BMW X3 CC with Matthieu Baumel in 2008. Al-Attiyah teamed up with German navigator Timo Gottschalk to claim a second win three years later with a Volkswagen Race Touareg.

Yazeed Al-Rajhi also has a successful record on the Ha’il Rally. The Saudi claimed victory with Baumel in 2009 with a Nissan Navara and in 2010 with a Mitsubishi Racing Lancer. He snatched a third title in 2012 with Filipe Palmeiro at the wheel of a Mini All4 Racing. A crash and a back injury sidelined the Saudi in 2013 and Czech driver Miroslav Zapletal claimed the laurels in a Hummer.

Al-Rajhi also retired with mechanical problems in 2014 and this paved the way for Ibrahim Al-Muhanna and Ali Obaid to claim an unlikely triumph in their Nissan Patrol. Al-Rajhi returned and teamed up with Gottschalk again in 2015 to claim an emphatic fourth win in a Hummer.

Motorcycles and quads have been permitted to take part since 2013, with Ahmed Al-Nasser winning the motorcycle section last year and Abdul Majeed Al-Khulaifi topping the quads for a second year.

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/

Previous winners:

Cars

2006 Farhan Ghaleb Al-Shammeri (SAU)/Bandar Al-Sandan (SAU) Toyota Land Cruiser

2007 Rajeh Al-Shammeri (SAU)/Mubarak Al-Shammeri (SAU) Toyota Land Cruiser

2008 Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Matthieu Baumel (FRA) BMW X3 CC

2009 Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU)/Matthieu Baumel (FRA) Nissan Navara

2010 Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU)/Matthieu Baumel (FRA) Mitsubishi Racing Lancer

2011 Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Timo Gottschalk (DEU) Volkswagen Race Touareg

2012 Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU)/Filipe Palmeiro (POR) Mini All4 Racing

2013 Miroslav Zapletal (CZE)/Maciej Marton (POL) Hummer

2014 Ibrahim Muhanna (SAU)/Ali Obaid (ARE) Nissan Patrol

2015 Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU)/Timo Gottschalk (DEU) Hummer

Bikes

2013 Khalid Al-Falaisi (ARE) Honda CRF 450 X

2014 Ahmed Al-Nasser (SAU) Honda

2015 Ahmed Al-Nasser (SAU) Honda

Quads

2013 Atif Al-Zarouni (ARE) Honda

2014 Abdul Majeed Al-Khulaifi (SAU) Kawasaki

2015 Abdul Majeed Al-Khulaifi (SAU) Kawasaki