CAR Middle East Awards announces UAE's sporting ambassador Mohammed Ben Sulayem as patron

The awards, coinciding with the 9th Middle East International Motor Show, will take place on November 14 at the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club. The awards will be presented to senior executives from the automotive industry, to celebrate key products, innovations, services, and persons in the context of the Middle East's automotive market over the last year.

'Mohammed Ben Sulayem's extensive motoring experience and vast knowledge of the motor industry makes him an ideal patron for the CAR Middle East Awards,' commented Shahzad Sheikh, Editor of CAR magazine.

'I am happy to support the inaugural CAR Middle East Awards at a time when the Middle East motor trade is becoming more and more competitive. When I started to drive I couldn't have imagined the number of makes and models that we have on the roads now. These awards will serve to help people select the highest performance and most luxurious models currently available in the market,' said Ben Sulayem, the 14-times FIA Middle East Rally Champion.

Ben Sulayem is the driving force behind the UAE Desert Challenge and sporting ambassador for the Arab world. As a driver, Sulayem has won more FIA regional championships and international rallies than any other competitor in history. In April 2006, Sulayem became President of the Emirates Automobile and Touring Club, the officially nominated representative in the Emirates for both the FIA and its motor cycling counterpart, the FIM.

Sheikh believes Ben Sulayem's patronage combined with the experience, knowledge and expertise of the judges will make the CAR Middle East Awards the most covetable and credible in this region. 'This is the first time that CAR, one of the world's most established and authoritative motoring titles, will be presenting awards based specifically on the Middle East market, reflecting the increased stature of the region as an automotive hub'.

CAR Middle East is the GCC region's premier motoring magazine, unmatched in production quality, images, local and international content, exclusive scoops and sensational features. CAR ME brings together the collective clout of ITP Group and EMAP, the largest magazine publishers in the Middle East and the UK respectively. It is directly affiliated to CAR magazine in the UK, the world's leading automotive magazine brand. Established in 1963, CAR pioneered the term 'supercar', invented the drive story and set new standards in terms of photography, design and layout. Holding true to the ethos of the parent title, CAR ME remains upmarket, intelligent, stylish and definitive. It combines market-leading quality and credibility with its unique wit and energy to set new standards of automotive journalism in the Middle East.