Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (WAM)
The opening round of the fourth season of the Abu Dhabi Baja Challenge 2026 will take place on Saturday (October 17), in Tilal Sweihan.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council in cooperation with the Emirates Motorsports Organisation (EMSO), the event will bring together a wide range of local and international competitors across various racing categories.
The opening round will feature 113 competitors and crews across four main categories, including 71 in the motorcycle category, 13 in the quad bike category, 9 in the car category, and 20 in the buggy category, reflecting the diversity of the competition and the strong interest in participating in the new season.
The entry list includes a distinguished grouprepresenting 23 nationalities.
The competition brings together experienced racers and emerging talents, providing professional and amateur competitors with an opportunity to test their driving skills and abilities on challenging desert terrain.
Emirati participation is prominent across various categories, with Mohammed Al Balooshi, Hamdan Al Ali, and Khalifa Al Rumaithi among the registered competitors in the motorcycle category, while Mansour Al Helei and Khalid Al Kindi are set to compete in the car category.
Female competitors will also participate across the motorcycle, car, and buggy categories.
The motorcycle competition will feature several classes, including 450cc, Over 450cc, Marathon, Adventure, Veterans, Youth, and Women.
The car competition will include the T3 and T4 categories, alongside quad bike races and buggy competitions in the Pro category.
The opening round will be held in the Sweihan Dunes, where the natural desert landscape provides an ideal setting for Baja racing.
The sandy terrain demands advanced driving, navigation, and vehicle control skills, offering participants a competitive experience that combines speed, endurance, and precision.
Through its fourth season, the Abu Dhabi Baja Challenge continues to provide a competitive platform for motorsports, contributing to expanding participation, offering local talent opportunities to compete alongside racers from different nationalities, and strengthening the presence of desert rally racing within Abu Dhabi's sporting events calendar.
All participating vehicles will undergo the required technical inspections before the start of the competition.
Final classifications will be confirmed based on the inspection results, in accordance with the event's technical and organisational regulations.
