H.H. Sheikh Ahmed visits DIMC to view build-up to next week's bumper UAE Desert Challenge

The final round of both the FIA and FIM World Cups starts with a brand new Prologue stage on Palm Island, Jumeira, at 4pm on Monday, October 20th. H.H. Sheikh Ahmed discussed the event with Mohammed Bin Sulayem, the 14-times FIA Middle East rally champion and chairman of the organising committee, and Saeed Hareb of the host DIMC venue.

"We have been working flat out for some weeks now to ensure that the UAE Desert Challenge is the biggest and most successful motorsport event in the Middle East so far," said Bin Sulayem. "It is a major boost for us to be based at the DIMC and H.H. Sheikh Ahmed came along to see how the event was progressing and how the preparations were going."

As competitors, officials and members of the world media begin to arrive in Dubai in advance of next week's five-day motorsport bonanza across the sands of the UAE, the organisers have released further details of the route timetable and event structure. The actual waypoints and tracks taken by each day's special stage are a closely-guarded secret and are only handed to race competitors the evening before the actual start.

After the Prologue stage on the new Palm Jumeira development on Monday, the competitive action switches to the remote deserts of the United Arab Emirates. The official start will at the Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi at 09.30 on Tuesday morning, where defending bike champion Cyril Despres will lead the entry of motorcycles, cars and trucks into the first 318 kms special stage across the Monassir Plateau.

This year's UAE Desert Challenge is being held under the patronage of H. H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander and H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Minister of Defence.