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Two weeks out from the Baja World Cup title showdown at the Dubai International Baja, competing teams are drawing up elaborate plans and strategies for their visit to one of the UAE’s most serene and picturesque locations, with one of the most vibrant urban developments in the region getting set to become the centre of all the action.

Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, the event is organised by the Emirates Motorsports Organisation (EMSO) in collaboration with the Dubai Sports Council (DSC). It is backed by Official Automotive Partner Al-Futtaim Toyota, and enjoys the strategic support of the Dubai Government and its entities, including the Dubai Police, RTA, and Dubai Municipality. Additionally, the event proudly partners with charity organisation Al Jalila Foundation.

The Dubai International Baja, an event renowned throughout the off-road motorsports world for its desert challenges, makes a statement this year with a route characterised by unique and awe-inspiring geographical contrasts. For the first time in its current incarnation as an off-road challenge, the event moves away from the traditional sand dunes to venture into the rugged, rural idyll of Hatta for the spectator-friendly prologue at 2.30pm on Friday, 29 November.

Hatta plays host to Dubai International Baja for the first time this year but the spectacular and must-see destination that attracts Emirati and international visitors alike is already a familiar stop in the rallying circuit at the highest level having played host to the event’s predecessor, the FIA Dubai International Rally, for several years up to 2015.

The spectacular rocky terrain high in the Hajar Mountains will provide a unique and demanding challenge for drivers and riders before they enter the rolling dunes, which are the familiar stomping ground of the FIA and FIM World Cup competitors coming to Dubai.

The introduction of the prologue qualifying stage will make this final round of the FIA/FIM World Cup series even more challenging for the crews vying for championship honours in the various competition classes, be it cars, bikes or buggies.

The Qualifying Stage of 4.5 km in Hatta will be a relatively short test on demanding terrain that offers a new challenge to many of the competitors while making its presence felt as a section of key strategic importance.

The prologue establishes the starting position for Special Stage 1 early on Saturday, 30 November and, for the top ten competitors, there is the added opportunity to select their starting position via an ingenious system.

A fascinating game of strategy ensues as the top competitors make their choices. No one wants to be first on the stage, opening the ‘road’ for the other competitors. Even so, being too far back in the order is also a potential disadvantage, and so the Starting Order Ceremony is always particularly closely watched in the FIA and FIM Bajas World Cup series.

The return to Dubai Festival City for the Opening Ceremony at 7 pm on Friday evening, 29 November, offers fans another opportunity to get close to the competitors and their spectacular machines in the very heart of Dubai. The biggest entertainment, dining and fashion mall in the city sit on the edge of the desert at the doorstep to the city.

Muhammad Khamis Al Muhairi, Vice President of the Emirates Motorsports Organisation and the UAE Sports Executive Committee, stated: “We are excited to unveil the introduction of a prologue that will amaze and delight our regular competitors with the fascinating terrain in the always welcoming city of Hatta. “This is an innovation which we are sure will enhance the rally’s appeal for competitors, showcasing a landscape of Dubai that is perhaps less known to the international audience, and providing a fantastic spectacle for the local community to enjoy."