H.H. Sheikh Mayed bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum performed the official ground breaking ceremony to start work on a permanent new headquarters in Dubai for the Automobile and Touring Club for the UAE. Sheikh Mayed…
H.H. Sheikh Mayed bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum performed the official ground breaking ceremony to start work on a permanent new headquarters in Dubai for the Automobile and Touring Club for the UAE. Sheikh Mayed, son of the ATCUAE’s patron, H.H.Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was accompanied by Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the ATCUAE, and Ebrahim Abdul Malik, secretary seneral of the General Authority of Youth and Sport Welfare, and secretary general of the UAE National Olympic Committee.
The new premises are being built on a 30,000 sq ft plot in the city’s Al Mumzar area which was allocated by Sheikh Mohammed, the ATCUAE’s patron.
Opening towards the end of this year, they will be used to centralise the ATCUAE’s control of motor sport in the Emirates as well as its services for motoring tourists and travellers.
The development follows Sheikh Mohammed’s decision last April to bring motor sport in the UAE under the overall control of a new-look ATCUAE, which is officially the sole nominated representative in the Emirates of both the FIA, motor sport’s world governing body, and its motor cycling counterpart, the FIM.
On their behalf it supervises all organised motor sport events in the UAE for cars and bikes, and the plush new headquarters will reflect the important and expanding role the ATCUAE is to play in overseeing all motor sport activities in the Emirates.
Work on the new premises were finalised in consultation with ATCUAE President, 14-times Middle East rally champion Sulayem, and board members Khalfan Hareb, Mohammed Atik Al Qamzi and Saeed Al Tayer.
“Sheikh Mohammed wanted us to have a permanent new headquarters for our efforts to maintain the highest standards in motor sport, host many more international events in the future, and continue to improve our services to motorists,” said Sulayem.
The ATCUAE currently organises the Dubai International Rally, the UAE Desert Challenge, and the Abu Dhabi Classic, the new event which brought the FIA Historic Rally Championship to the UAE for the first time last month (January).
It also oversees the complete range of motor sport activities in the UAE, including karting, drag racing, hill climbs and a variety of motor bike activities such as moto cross.
The ATCUAE is also increasingly active outside the sporting arena. It is the only FIA authorised organisation in the UAE to issue International Driving Permits, as well as Carnet de Passage en Douane (Trip Tickets) and International Certificates which simplify customs formalities for motoring tourists and travellers.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
