Desert Sport Festival offers gala fun and adventure
Off-road racing event offers adrenaline rush for safari motorsport enthusiasts and tons of fun for visitors of all ages, on Thursday and Friday.
This weekend the place to be for adventure-seekers is the Al Bayader Desert on the Dubai-Hatta Road, renowned for its majestic dunes and beauty of its desert landscape. For petrol heads, the Sharjah Sports Desert Festival (SSDF 2017) is the first edition of the first-of-its-kind desert off-roading experience in Sharjah and Northern Emirates. Even for kids and families there are corners of excitement as some events are designed for non-competing spectators too.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, the two-day event is organised by Sharjah Sports Channel, a subsidiary of Sharjah Media Corporation (SMC).
Themed ‘Become a Desert Hero,’ SSDF 2017 contestants will participate in three vehicle classes. Entrants in the Buggy Quad Bikes category and in the MX1 and MX2 vehicle category will compete in ‘Enduro Knockout’ challenges, while participants in the Side X Side vehicle category will compete in a ‘Time Trail’ challenge. There will also be a number of off-road motorcycle races.
For non-competing spectators, this is the alluring opportunity to enjoy a variety of activities in the desert ambiance of Al Badayer – including a safari tour from Al Badayer desert to Mleiha in Sharjah. Apart from various desert sports for visitors, SSDF 2017 will entertain the younger visitors with its Kids Zone hosting sand painting, balloon bending and white henna painting. A ‘Flames of Wonder’ show will be also performed twice a day by expert pyro technicians.
The racetrack is designed by Emirati motocross star Mohammed Al Balooshi, the first Emirati to participate in the Dakar Rally, who will be monitoring the racing events to ensure that the contestants adhere to the festival’s rules and regulations. Sharjah Sports Channel will cover it exclusively.
Dubai International Baja will flag off three-event desert sweep
New Dubai International Baja will be held from 9 to 11 March in the Al Qudra desert. The 2017 Dubai International Baja is the second round of this year’s FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies for cars and buggies and the opening round of the FIM Bajas World Cup for bikes and quads. The three-day event is being held under the patronage of H.H.Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai.
For world’s top rally drivers two more exciting desert sweeps will soon follow with the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (1-7 April), a premier event in the FIA World Cup series and the FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship, and Qatar’s Sealine Cross Country Rally (16-21 April).
