Dubai International Baja
The Dubai International Baja (formerly known as the Dubai International Rally) is an international baja rally event based in Dubai held around the facilities of the Dubai Innovation Centre.
History
The rally, a gravel and sand event, dates back to 1984 and it used to be the final event of the Middle East Rally Championship each year. The rally changed its name to the Emirates Rally in 1989 but changed back the following year.
In 2016 the rally was reformatted into a cross-country rally and hosted a candidate event for the FIM Bajas World Cup and FIA World Baja Cup. In 2017, the rally became an official event, hosting competition in both the car and bike categories.
The rally has been dominated in the car category by Emirati driver Mohammed bin Sulayem who has claimed 15 victories including twelve consecutive wins from 1991 to 2002. Eleven wins have been taken by Qatari driver Nasser Al-Attiyah, including a run of eight straight from 2007 to 2014.
Winners
Auto
List of winners sourced in part from:[1][2]
Bikes & Quads
| Year | Bike | Quad | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rider | Vehicle | Rider | Vehicle | |
| 2016 | David McBride | KTM 450 RR | Abdulmajeed Al Khulaifi | Yamaha YFZ 450 |
| 2017 | Mark Ackerman | Husvqarna 450 FX | Fahad Al Musallam | Yamaha 700 Raptor |
| 2018 | Mohammed Al Balooshi | KTM 450 | Fahad Al Musallam | Yamaha 700 Raptor |
| 2019 | Aaron Mare | Husvqarna 450 FC | Khalifa Al Raisee | Honda 700 TRX2 |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | |||
| 2021 | Sam Smith | KTM 450SX-F | Haitham Altuwayjiri | Yamaha YZF450R |
| 2022 | Tobias Ebster | Husqvarna FE 450 | Abdulaziz Ahli | Yamaha YZF450R |
| 2023 | Mohammed Al-Balooshi | Yamaha MX450 | Abdulaziz Ahli | Yamaha |