Sulayem gives Middle East drive to motor sport moves on environment protection

Environmental issues are a major concern for motor sport organisers worldwide, and the Emirates Automobile and Touring Club President (EATC) has pledged to deliver regional support for an environmental initiative by the FIM, the governing body for motor cycle events.

An FIM licenced Environmental Officer is now a mandatory requirement for any officially sanctioned international event, and Sulayem is taking prompt action to make sure the Middle East complies.

The EATC, the official representative of the FIM in the Emirates, is to host a Dubai seminar on 6-7 September to give Middle East motor sport personnel the chance to qualify for an FIM Environmental Officials licence.

It follows Sulayem's recent meeting with M. Guy Maitre, Secretary General of the FIM, at its headquarters in Geneva. "I promised him that we would take the lead on the environment in the Middle East," said Sulayem. "Key environmental issues such as pollution, noise and waste disposal are not currently as pressing in the Middle East as they are in some of the more sensitive geographical regions, such as Europe.

"But this will change, and now is the time to act responsibly and make ourselves aware of the related issues and the actions that we can take."

Motor sport clubs in all the Gulf countries, as well as Cyprus, Tunisia and Egypt, have been invited to send representatives to the two-day seminar in Dubai which will be conducted by an appointed FIM instructor.

In Europe, where effects of the environment are heightened by the volume of events and the huge numbers of spectators they attract, tough measures have already been taken to protect the environment.

In France, motor cycling along country lanes - a popular activity known as green laning -has been banned. Internationally, the authorities are clamping down on noise by limiting decibel levels through engine restrictions, and measures have been enforced to prevent oil and fuel spillage.

Sulayem is passionate about environment protection, and is making this a priority for events organised or overseen by the EATC, which also represents the FIA, the world governing body for four wheel motor sport, in the UAE.

Over the years he has placed a big emphasis on minimising the effect on the environment of the UAE Desert Challenge, which he launched in 1991 and was the Middle East's first world championship motor sport event.