Iconic Al-Maha Island to host start and finish of Qatar International Rally

 




 Oman’s Abdullah Al-Rawahi arrives in Qatar with six-point MERC

lead

LUSAIL (Qatar): Al Maha Island will host the start and finish ceremonies of this

weekend’s Qatar International Rally, round two of the 2023 FIA Middle East Rally

Championship (MERC).

Al Maha Island Lusail is Qatar’s ultimate entertainment and culinary destination,

featuring Lusail Winter Wonderland, Nammos Beach Club and award-winning

restaurants.

Located across Lusail Marina Promenade, Al Maha Island is easily accessible from the

mainland by car, 30 minutes away from Hamad International Airport and just a five-

minute walk from the Esplanade Station of the Lusail Tram, making it a perfect

destination for business and leisure travellers alike. The island also offers a unique

driving experience, Al Maha Drive, reserved for supercars and classic cars with

exclusive benefits for its members.

Opened in November 2022, the destination is set to play a vital role in Qatar’s

tourism and hospitality sectors by attracting over 1.5 million visitors per year.

“We are proud and excited that the Qatar International Rally will start and finish

from Al-Maha Island, Qatar’s new, iconic and world-class tourist venue,” said Amro

Al-Hamad, Executive Director of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF).

“It will provide the perfect backdrop for the start of the event and the finish

celebrations on Saturday evening.”

Group CEO of Estithmar Holding, Mr. Henrik Christiansen said: “We are excited to

host the start and finish ceremonies of Qatar International Rally, round two of the

2023 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC). Al Maha Island is the ultimate

entertainment and leisure hotspot, transforming the tourism and hospitality in Qatar

to a new level. At Estithmar Holding our mission is to add exceptional value to our

customer and our world-class hospitality and entertainment projects will deliver and

create a memorable experience for the residents and visitors of Qatar.”

The three-day gravel rally is being organised by the QMMF and will be fought out

over 13 timed special stages and 209.69km competitive kilometres from Thursday

evening through to Saturday afternoon.

 

While the rally headquarters, service park and pre-event administration and

scrutineering checks will be carried out close to the QMMF offices at Lusail Sports

Arena, rally officials have also confirmed that Al-Maha Island will host the pre and

post-event press conferences at the start and finish podiums on Thursday and

Saturday evenings from 18.30hrs, respectively

Competitors from 13 nations will be permitted to carry out reconnaissance of the

special stages, before attending scrutineering at Lusail on Wednesday evening and

Thursday morning.

Last month, Abdullah Al-Rawahi was the winner of the opening round in his native

Oman for the second successive year and he and his Jordanian co-driver Ata Al-

Hmoud lead their respective Drivers’ and Co-drivers’ championships by six points

from the local favourite and defending champion Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and his

navigator Mathieu Baumel.

Former FIA MERC2 champion Meshari Al-Thefiri has returned to the category to try

and win back his crown this season: the Kuwaiti made the perfect start in Oman by

claiming third overall, the MERC2 win and a six-point advantage over Jordan’s Shaker

Jweihan in the points’ standings.

202 FIA Middle East Rally Championship – standings after round 1:

MERC

Drivers:

1. Abdullah Al-Rawahi (OMN) 30pts

2. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT) 24pts

3. Meshari Al-Thefiri (KWT) 21pts

4. Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya (QAT) 19pts

5. Shaker Jweihan (JOR) 17pts

6. Yousef Al-Dhafeeri (KWT) 15pts

7. Sheikh Bader Al-Fawaz (JOR) 13pts

8. Shadi Shaban (JOR) 11pts

9. Ahmad Khaled (LEB) 9pts

10. Abdullah Al-Zubair (OMN) 7pts

Co-drivers:

1. Ata Al-Hmoud (JOR) 30pts

2. Mathieu Baumel (AND) 24pts

3. Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT) 21pts

4. Giovanni Bernacchini (ITA) 19pts

5. Nancy Al-Majali (JOR) 17pts

6. Carlos Hanna (LEB) 15pts

7. Emad Juma (JOR) 13pts

8. Samer Issa (JOR) 11pts

9. Samir Sfeir (LEB) 9pts

10. Taha Al-Zadjali (OMN) 7pts

MERC2

Drivers:

1. Meshari Al-Thefiri (KWT) 30pts

2. Shaker Jweihan (JOR) 24pts

3. Yousef Al-Dhafeeri (KWT) 21pts

4. Sheikh Bader Al-Fawaz (JOR) 19pts

5. Shadi Shaban (JOR) 17pts

6. Ahmad Khaled (LEB) 15pts

 

7. Abdullah Al-Zubair (OMN) 13pts

Co-drivers:

1. Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT) 30pts

2. Nancy Al-Majali (JOR) 24pts

3. Carlos Hanna (LEB) 21pts

4. Emad Juma (JOR) 19pts

5. Samer Issa (JOR) 17pts

6. Samir Sfeir (LEB) 15pts

7. Taha Al-Zadjali (OMN) 13pts

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Qatar Airways named title sponsor of Royal Challengers Bangalore

Image
 Qatar Airways named title sponsor of Royal Challengers Bangalore The group has also introduced RCB Innovation Lab, a service that generates insights, ideas, methodologies and products that shape the future of sports. Qatar Airways has been officially named the main principal partner by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Sunday. Rajesh Menon, Vice President & Head of RCB, announced it last night at the RCB Unbox event at Chinnaswamy stadium. Muthoot Fincorp sponsored RCB for three years.  RCB has also taken a giant step forward in merging sports and lifestyle with the introduction of RCB Innovation Lab.  It aims to generate insight, ideas, methodologies and products that shape the future of sports in India. At the core of this aim is an aspiration to develop adaptable people and leaders, capable of driving performance improvement and excellence on and off the field.  RCB innovation Lab is based on two principles, to bring sports innovation to as many people and to collaborate wit
Read more

INSPIRATIONAL CHOPRA TO LAUNCH WANDA DIAMOND LEAGUE DEFENCE IN DOHA

Image
 INSPIRATIONAL CHOPRA TO LAUNCH WANDA DIAMOND LEAGUE DEFENCE IN DOHA Chopra is an inspirational figure and has blazed a trail for Indian athletes throughout his career to date. He was the first Indian track and field athlete to set a world record (under-20) when he threw 86.48m to win the 2016 World U20 Championships, which was also the first time an Indian athlete had won a global track and field title. He won javelin gold at the 2018 Asian Games, the first Indian athlete to do so, and made history in Tokyo when he became the country’s first Olympic gold medallist in track and field. The former Commonwealth Games champion (2018), who improved his lifetime best by almost two metres with a throw of 89.94m for second at last year’s BAUHAUS-Galan in Stockholm, was crowned 2022 Wanda Diamond League champion. Due to injury, Chopra unfortunately missed the 2022 Doha Meeting. It was an event that presented spectators with a javelin masterclass as two national records were broken, including th
Read more

Qatar Airways Renews Partnership with Al Sadd Sports Club as Official Jersey Partner in a Multi-Year Year Partnership

Image
  Qatar Airways Renews Partnership with Al Sadd Sports Club as Official Jersey Partner in a Multi-Year Year Partner ship   The award-winning airline teamed up with Qatar’s most successful football club since 2018     DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways is delighted to announce the extension of its enduring partnership with Al Sadd Sports Club, the most successful football team in Qatar's history, as the primary jersey partner in a multi-year deal. This renewal reaffirms the shared commitment of both organizations to the advancement of sports and excellence in football. The partnership between Qatar Airways and Al Sadd Sports Club commenced in 2018, and over the years, it has demonstrated its strong foundation, further strengthening the bonds between the two entities. Through this association, Qatar Airways continues to show its dedication to supporting Qatar's sports community and fostering a positive impact on local and global football.   Qatar Airways Group Chief Exec
Read more