The Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, ATCUAE, the organisers of the Dubai International Rally, announced today that preparations for the revised event, taking place on Friday, 9th December, have reached the final stages.

The event has been evolved into a Cross Country rally for the first time, and will be assessed by the FIA to confirm a high standard of organisation and safety in order to join the 2017 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies.

The ATCUAE is aiming to grow the event, as well as capitalise on the popularity of Cross Country Rallying across the Gulf. The rally was previously a round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship since the championship's inception in 1984, but this move is expected to bring in more quality and quantity in terms of competitors from all over the world.

Also, for the first time in its long history, the event will also be open to off-road motorcycles and quads, with it also scheduled to join the FIM Baja World Cup in 2017.

"The preparations are going on very well to organise the Dubai International Rally as a candidate event for the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies, and we are almost reaching the final stages. The assessment will be important for us to promote the rally on a global level, after it was a part of the FIA MERC for so many years. As organisers, we have a huge responsibility to sustain the event and continuously promote it to new levels" said ATCUAE President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.