LATEST NEWS Nissan Powers Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge for 16th Consecutive Year

Sponsorship underscores Nissan Middle East’s commitment to the Middle East motorsport

DUBAI, UAE (17 March 2019) – Nissan Middle East is gearing up for another exciting season of desert racing, as it looks forward to powering the 2019 edition of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (ADDC). Taking to the dunes from 31 March to 4 April, ADDC is one of the region’s most anticipated annual five-day motorsport events and forms the third round of this year’s FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies. This is the 16th year that Nissan Middle East has sponsored the prestigious motorsport event.

Nissan’s support of ADDC begins even before the event gets underway, with a fleet of Nissan Patrols being supplied to the race organisers. These allow officials to travel through the desert dunes and map out the course in the months leading up to the race. The all-terrain Patrols will also be utilised during the event itself, playing an indispensable role in assisting drivers, and in transporting race officials, marshals, dignitaries and media representatives to the special vantage points on the different stages.  

In addition to providing the fleet of Patrols and naming the event “Powered by Nissan”, the carmaker’s sponsorship extends to naming a Special Stage. The most challenging single element of the race, the Nissan Special Stage 3 will take place on Monday, April 2nd. At 297.97 kms it is the longest of the five individual Special Stages and will take place among massive dunes in the beautiful LEWA desert.

Speaking at the ADDC 2019 signing ceremony said Kalyana Sivagnanam, Regional Vice President, Marketing and Sales, AMI said: “We are proud of our long and ambitious association with motorsports in the region and are excited to be an essential element of ADDC for the 16th consecutive year. The Nissan Patrol’s rugged durability and reliability in the region’s tough climatic conditions has not only made it an inseparable part of the cultural fabric of the Middle East, but a perfect partner to the Challenge. We are looking forward to another year of exhilarating desert racing.”

“Over the past 16 years, Nissan’s support has been invaluable in helping the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge grow from strength to strength” added Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Automobile and Touring Club for the UAE, the rally organizers, and FIA Vice President-Sport. “Nissan Middle East’s enthusiasm for ADDC is matched only with by the company’s commitment to ensuring its long-term success. I am confident that working together we will continue to ensure that this epic event will continue to set the bar in the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies.”

Formed under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region, the five-day Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is one of the world's most prestigious international cross-country rallies. Over the years, it has seen many of the biggest names in international motorsports tackle the dunes of the UAE, including Carlos Sainz, Colin McRae, Ari Vatenan, and Heinz Kinigadner. ADDC is also the qualifying round of the 2019 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship and the 2019 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies.

Coming off the back of Nissan’s headline sponsorship of the Dubai International Baja held earlier this month, the carmaker’s support for the Desert Challenge reflects its unwavering commitment to motorsport in the region and one that is unrivalled in the Middle East off-road scene.