Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge unveils 2025 route
CONSUMER NEWS
The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is set to attract professionals and amateurs from around the world to take on one of the most innovative and demanding routes in the rally's 34-year history.
The Prologue has been transformed in new fashion, becoming a more spectator friendly version of the Desert Challenge’s 2025 curtain-raiser.
The challenging five-stage event will also for the first time in the rally’s extensive history start from Al Ain instead of the usual Abu Dhabi.
Following the first stage from Al Ain all the way to Mezeer'ah, the drivers and riders of the 34th Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge will then head to the bivouac at Al Qua’a which, as part of an exciting new approach, will be a marathon stage not just for bikes, but also cars.
With the third and fourth stages straddling the challenging marathon camp, where competitors are deprived of outside mechanical assistance and spare parts, those that survive will take on the grand finale of a fifth stage which culminates in stimulating Abu Dhabi.
The Ruler’s Representative Court in Al Dhafra Region, which plays a vital role in the development and economic growth of the region, continues to encourage the development of the Desert Challenge as a stand-out event in the off-road calendar and the second round of the FIA and FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC).
Abu Dhabi’s traditional desert rally-raid, though rich with history, continues to evolve with the times thanks to the longstanding support of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, who work closely with the event’s organisers Emirates Motorsports Organisation (EMSO).
Working tirelessly for the wellbeing of Al Dhafra’s people, all parties have an eye on sustainability, aiming at protecting the spectacular environment that the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge calls home, while always protecting the traditions and identity of the population.
The undersecretary of the Ruler’s Representative Court Al Dhafra Region, Nasser Al Mansoori, said: “Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan is pleased to extend his patronage of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge as the event enters its 34th year. His support for such events, with their global reach, play an important role in highlighting the Al Dhafra region’s cultural significance and outstanding natural beauty.
“A second consecutive visit to Mezeer’ah, as well as exciting firsts for the event in Al Ain and Al Qua’a, highlight the innovate nature of the Desert Challenge as it continues to shine as the second round of the W2RC. The region prides itself on embracing both tradition and progress, values that are mirrored in the nomadic nature and continued evolution of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.”
Aref Al Awani, Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, commented: “We are extremely grateful to Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his continued and unwavering support of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. We would also like to congratulate EMSO for their outstanding contribution to the development of the sport in the UAE.
“The Desert Challenge has gone from strength to strength throughout its rich history and remains at the forefront of the rally-raid discipline after 34 years, thanks to a combination of hard work and a willingness to evolve, which has resulted in decades of well-deserved world championship status.”
The starting point for the 2025 Desert Challenge, the inland oasis of Al Ain, is equally steeped in history, and the exact location of the Super Special Stage amongst the Bronze Age remains will be announced shortly.
Running from Al Ain all the way to Mezeer'ah in the heart of the Liwa oasis, the first stage promises to test this year’s competitors from the outset and could prove to be the toughest stage as the race approaches the gateway to the mysterious and implacable Rub’ Al Khali and the birthplace of the ruling royal family of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
From this green haven, the route heads out into intimidating 300-metre-high dunes. Part of the largest continuous sand desert on the planet, the Rub’ Al Khali also experiences extremes of temperature, ranging from over 50 degrees in the height of summer, down to just 5 degrees in winter.
As impressive as it is unforgiving, the Empty Quarter is a paradise of its own on for rally-raid competitors. Whether on two wheels or four, the endless desert has always been a key factor in attracting such a prestigious international entry and cementing the Desert Challenge as a highlight of the W2RC calendar.
From Mezeer’ah the competitors close in on the marathon camp at Al Qua’a. With its incredible night sky and unique star shaped dunes, the scenery promises to be as dramatic as the racing. Deprived of any assistance, participants will be praying for a trouble-free run to and from Al Qua’a back to the Empty Quarter bivouac, where their vehicles can once again be fully serviced.
Following stages three and four, and the tough marathon bivouac regulations, both competitors and their vehicles will need to be on top form for the final charge towards the Arabian Gulf coast.
Surrounded by scenery unchanged for thousands of years, the participants will race back to the skyscrapers of the ultra-modern Abu Dhabi, with the UAE capital provides a fitting backdrop for a rally that, like the city that shares its name, is constantly evolving in the search for excellence.
Whether they are professionals hoping to score valuable W2RC points or amateurs searching for adventure and to conquer sands of the infamous Empty Quarter desert, the competitors will have accomplished a great feat to reach the podium of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.
The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative Court in Al Dhafra Region.
Supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the event is organised by the Emirates Motorsports Organisation.
The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge also counts with the support of Energy Partner Adnoc Distribution, the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi and other governmental entities.
Al Futtaim-Toyota is the Automotive Partner of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, and the event counts also with the support of Official Logistics Partner DHL. -TradeArabia News Service
