Third round of the Abu Dhabi Baja Challenge experiences great success

The competitions of the third round of the second season of the Abu Dhabi Baja Challenge concluded on Saturday, 8 February, 2025, in Zayed City in the Al Dhafra region. The competitions were organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council in cooperation with the Emirates Motorsports Organization. This round witnessed a record participation of 106 competitors representing more than 30 nationalities, including 32 Emirati drivers.

The results led to the crowning of driver Jonathan Hart and his co-driver Ali Mirza in first place in the Auto category, while Alex Mcinnes secured the title in the Overall Moto Category. In the quad category, Abdulaziz Ahli claimed first place, whereas Jonathan Kleinschmidt won the Buggy category title.

The winners were crowned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Sultan bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, representative of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Captain Salem Matar Al Mansoori, representative of the Police Directorate in the Al Dhafra Region, and Hamed Al Mazrouei and Awad Al Marar, representatives of the Emirates Motorsports Organization.

The Abu Dhabi Baja Challenge aims to enhance efforts to develop young talents in motorsports, and also provide an opportunity for beginners to compete with professional drivers at the regional level. The Challenge began as a community sports initiative in line with the goals of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and quickly attracted the attention of professional drivers from around the world.

The round witnessed strong competition with the participation of 61 riders on bikes, 11 on quads, 11 in cars, and 23 buggies, crossing a desert track exceeding 100 km in length through the soft and golden sand dunes of the Al Dhafra Region.

His Excellency Talal Al Hashemi, Executive Director of the Events Sector at the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, expressed his happiness with the great success achieved in the third round, noting that the size of participation reflected the immense growth of motorsports in the region. He also reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to developing the skills of local drivers and encouraging them to participate in international events. Al Hashemi concluded his speech by saying: “We are pleased to see this large number of participants from different nationalities, which enhances the status of the Abu Dhabi Baja Challenge as a global sporting event, and we look forward to more successes in the next round, which will be held on 12 April in Al Ain.”