1000 Dunes Rally at the 2005 Dubai Shopping Festival

Undoubtedly the most punishing of all the UAE motor sports championships, the 1000 Dunes Rally once again dared the fittest and the fastest on its 800 kms (400kms of road section plus 400kms of desert section) trail. The three-day event was held under the banner of the 2005 Dubai Shopping Festival and was open to all with an interest in motor sports.

The King of UAE desert rallies boasted of the ultimate challenge to man and machine over a two-day non-stop dash across a thousand dunes. And for the champion, the coveted Dh100,000 and a Golden Sword of honor. Khalifa Al Mutaiwee is the only rally driver to have won the 1000 Dunes 4 times and the only one to have to the honor of taking the sword home. Ahmed Bin Sougat was the recent winner of the rally in 2004 and was all geared up to take claim of the sword if he captured the 2005 title.

Scheduled for February 9-11, 2005, the Rally kicked off at Al Aweer Roundabout with a Prologue stage on Wednesday, February 9, where around 35 top notched off-road specialists competed, for priority position at the start-off at the rally stage. On Feb 10 the competitive non-stop run was flagged off from Al Murraqabat Street at 4pm and culminated at the starting point the following day, around 4pm. The 24 hour Rally is the most prestigious and the toughest of all UAE Rally Championships. This is also the biggest event in terms of challenge, the budget, awards, participants, media coverage and public involvement in the UAE motor sports calendar.

The 1000 Dunes Rally Championship is a local rally, but because of its unique format and increasing popularity, it has attracted participants from outside the UAE. Entries for the championship included participants from Qatar, Oman and some European countries besides many from the UAE. Roughing it out on the desert sand was Shaikh Abdullah Al Qasimi (Three-time UAE Rally champion), Obaid Al Hathboor (2002 UAE Rally champion), Ahmad Bin Souqat (1000 Dunes Rally winner in 2000 and 2004), Mohammed Al Shibani (1000 Dunes Rally winner in 2002), Raed Baker (2nd position, overall UAE Rally Championship 2001), Nizar Al Shinfari (Middle East Rally Champion, Group N) and Sheikh Hamad Bin Eid Al Thani (Middle East Rally champion) among other top guns.

The 1000 Dunes Rally is one of the six rallies that constitute the UAE Rally Championship. In 1997 the one-day championship was upgraded to a 24-hour-non-stop two-day racing across the dunes. Last year (2002) one more day (Prologue stage) was added turning the Championship into a full three-day affair.

Qatar-based veteran driver Suhail Bin Khalifa was fastest on the 1000 Dunes Prolog Stage which brought the DSF sponsored desert Rally to life, but third runner Ahmed Bin Sougat, with a time of 03:46 minutes remained hot favourite in his Damas Liberty sponsored Chevrolet Tahoe.

Watched by spectators near the Al Aweer roundabout, Khalifa grabbed a 0.04 second advantage over UAE's Abdullah Bin Humaidan on the 4 km arduous stage. The second overall winner of the UAE Rally Championship 2004, Humaidan, was well-positioned to extend his lead in the race for the 1000 Dunes Rally.

"It's a true test of endurance for the cars and the drivers as they have to be at the wheel for a full 24 hours," said Mhmd Al Qadi, the Operations Manager of the Rally as the rally will be run over the next two days in the UAE desert four legs.

The first car for the opening leg was flagged off at 4 pm on Thursday the 10th and there was a break of two hours from 10 pm till midnight, when the drivers continued till 3.30 am on the second leg of the competition.

The penultimate leg started for the leading car at 8 am and went on till midday, while the final leg was run after the prayer break till the finish of the rally at Al Murraqabat Street.

UAE's Ahmed Bin Sougat established a convincing victory. Partnered by local veteran Jassim Al Balooshi, Ahmed led from the opening of Leg 2 in his Liberty Damas sponsored Chevrolet Tahoe, although he lost the initial lead in the Prologue stage to Qatar's Shaikh Suhail Bin Khalifa before the latter was sidelined with a blown gear-box, caused from damage sustained to his Land Rover during a heavy landing in the 1st stage. "We were quite apprehensive of our performance today and were concerned about the strong list of rally drivers fighting for the most challenging desert rally in the country. But our determination to cling on to our title earned me not only the top spot but also the coveted golden sword," said a proud Ahmed after his victory climb on the ramp displayed at the Al Muraqqabat street at 4 pm after the rally.

Ahmed Bin Sougat who finished the 13 special stages in 03:45:18 across the dry and rough terrain of Sharjah and Dubai desert also faced a showdown with 2003 champion Raed Baker and co-driver Nabil Ahmady who fought strongly for top honors but Abdullah bin Humaidan, second over-all champion of the 2004 UAE Rally Championship held on to his grit to capture second spot.

Ali Matar and co-driver Ali Mirza finished in third place ahead of Raed and other competitors. Out of the 26 final participants only 13 managed to overcome the cruel and harsh temperament of the 1000 Dunes.

"This is one of the best rallies in the region and many of the best rally drivers have competed in this 24 hour arduous desert region. The Emirates Motor Sports Federation has in the last year and will in this year put in their maximum efforts to make motor sports in UAE one of the best sporting events in the region," said Hamad Al Mazrouei, Vice President of the EMSF.

The winner takes home prize money of Dhs. 100,000 and Ahmed having won the 1000 Dunes title for the third time in a row will take the Golden sword home as well, estimated to be worth another Dhs. 100,000.

The 1000 Dunes is a name that evokes a vision of hard men and women riding over unremitting terrain with only a GPS and road book to guide them. The 2005 event proved to be very exciting indeed.