FIA President impressed by drive to develop motor sport in MENA region

FIA President, Jean Todt, said, "He is highly impressed by the work being done to drive motor sport to a new level in the Middle East and North Africa."

Todt will now study two reports commissioned by Sulayem, President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, and presented during the meeting.

One of the reports delivered a six-point plan aimed at increasing the region's total number of competitors, officials and volunteers, and the number of motorsports events, by 20 % by 2015.

The other, based on an intensive study of volunteers working at the UAE's top motor sport events in 2012, made recommendations to help organisers worldwide provide better protection for marshals and officials from the risk of dehydration.

Todt, who also attended today's meeting in Doha of the Arab Council of Touring and Automobile Clubs, said, "It is clear that a lot of development has happened in this region, and it offers very strong potential for the future, growing from the base of rallying, with road safety a very important part of that mix."

"These were two intense and very fruitful meetings, and I was very impressed with the enthusiasm of the members. The solidarity and friendship that was displayed made me proud, as the FIA President, that our main assets are human and team work," he added.

The Doha assembly of the 22 national motor sport authorities now united within the FIA's Middle East and North Africa region in particular highlighted significant progress made in recent years in regional motor sport governance.

Until recently, the sport's only regional forum was a meeting of the six or seven organisers of FIA Middle East Rally Championship events to discuss rally regulations. The establishment of the FIA's MENA region in 2011, a development driven by Sulayem, effectively brought 22 national sporting authorities together to work towards common goals.

The Doha assembly was attended by senior officials from each of these countries, namely Algeria, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE and Yemen.