Dubai reveals plan to host new motoring festival

Andy Sambidge, September 29th, 2013

Dubai has announced plans to host a new festival to embrace the emirate's position as the motoring capital of the Middle East.

Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, an agency of Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, on Wednesday announced plans to hold the Dubai Motor Festival in November.

Under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, the inaugural event will run from November 5-9.

With the Dubai International Motor Show as its anchor event, the festival will also feature the Dubai Grand Parade which will see a convoy of super luxury and classic cars and bikes passing by the city's landmarks, led by the fleet of Dubai Police supercars.

The festival will also include the Redbull Middle East Car Park Drift Championship which will see contestants from across the GCC and Levant compete for the coveted 'King of Drift' title, showcasing high-speed drifting, steering, braking and power sliding techniques.

Helal Saeed Almarri, director general, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, and CEO, Dubai World Trade Centre said: "The Dubai International Motor Show has fuelled the evolution of the motor industry in the region for more than two decades.

"With the 2013 edition of the Show expected to attract more than 100,000 visitors, this was the right time to capitalise on its success and move the events and entertainment past the boundaries of the exhibition and out into the city."

The Dubai Motor Festival is the first festival to be announced by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) since the launch of the Dubai Tourism Vision for 2020 in May.

Laila Mohammed Suhail, CEO, DFRE, said: "Part of the strategy behind Dubai's Tourism Vision for 2020 is to position Dubai as a leading global destination for events. In the coming years we anticipate growing the Dubai Motor Festival so that it quickly becomes recognised as a major motoring festival on the global stage, with visitors coming from around the world to take part in the events and activities during the festival."