World Cup Glory for Al Balooshi as Dubai International Baja Finishes with Zayed and Rashid stage 3
Dubai International Baja 2025 has concluded with the spectacular 270km Zayed and Rashid Stage 3 in Al Qudra Desert where the stars of FIA and FIM Baja World Cup rally have completed their season.
Celebrating a record fourth FIM World Cup Bajas title is local star Mohammed Al Balooshi who has cruised through the three days of action in Hatta and Al Qudra to secure a landmark success and reaffirm his status as the motorcycle king of the dunes.
The most successful Emirati in FIM Bajas World Cup history, Al Balooshi finished third on this ninth edition of his home baja behind a terrific tussle for event glory between day two leader Alex McInnes of Britain and Poland’s defending Dubai champion Konrad Dabrowski.
For Al Balooshi, the main goal of the weekend was a strong points finish to ensure that he secured his fourth World Cup title, his third in succession. He adopted a no-risk strategy on the final day in contrast to the top two for whom there was no title interest and he still reached the podium while adopting a conservative approach.
“I took it super easy as the leading two were pushing to the limit,” he said. “I was like, okay, today (the goal) is to finish. I couldn’t afford to ride their pace, and hats off to Alex and Konrad. They did an amazing job.
“Third seems good with the situation I was in. I think yesterday I lost a lot of time. That was what encouraged me a little bit today not to take any unnecessary chances. And the bigger picture was to win the World Cup which I did in this this is the icing on the cake at the end of the season. So I’ll take third, and we can celebrate the World Cup today.”
McInnes carried a 2m55s lead into the final day but 2024 winner Dabrowski is at ease like no other on the unique dunes in Dubai and he overturned his deficit and added another half a minute to take overall victory by the narrow margin of 34 seconds.
“It was it was really tough,” said Dabrowski at the finish. “Alex’s opening speed was incredible today. Respect to him, because I really did not expect not to be able to catch him until the end.
“I had to push for the whole stage and I don’t think I’ve ever went so fast on the dunes on the rally bike. I came here thinking, I will take it easy because I have Dakar Rally in January, but no, today was definitely not easy.”
There was further local cause for celebration as Abdulaziz Ahli secured another comfortable Dubai International Baja victory in the Quads despite facing mechanical maladies which threatened to force his retirement. Ahli had to give best to Marcin Wilkolek on the final stage but the local man still had plenty in hand to take overall victory by more than 15 minutes.
Titles were up for grabs in various categories among the FIA and FIM competitors but Juan Cruz Yacopini knew that his overall victory in the FIA World Baja Cup was all but assured before he arrived in Dubai and the Argentinian driver engaged in a fascinating battle for event honours with Californian Seth Quintero throughout the three days of action.
Quintero looked to be in control on day two but sustained a five-minute penalty speeding penalty applied after the stage which handed a 1m12s lead to Yacopini starting the third and final stage.
Ultimately it was Yacopini who prevailed. Despite a late scare when his transmission began to fail within a kilomtre of the finish, the champion elect and co-driver by Dani Oliveras gave up just six seconds of his advantage to Quintero to take his first victory in Dubai International Baja by 1m05.9s and end a glorious season on a high.
This was Yacopini’s fifth win from six starts in the series this year, a breakthrough season for the Toyota Hilux crew and a conclusion to the season which will send them into the short winter break on the crest of a wave.
“That was a really tough stage,” said Yacopini. “Yesterday Seth was a little bit faster than us so we tried to push from the very beginning. We made a super nice stage and one kilometre before the finish something broke. I don’t know if it was in the central diff(erental) or the rear diff(erential) or something.
“But we were able to finish and we were able to win and I’m extremely happy. It’s the third time I have done this rally. Two times before I had mechanical issues and I couldn’t fight for the overall.
“I’m super happy. It’s the final stage of this wonderful 2025 for me and Dani in the World Bajas Cup. We were the champions in Qatar and I wanted to show here that we are also fast against these drivers. We were able to fight every stage so I’m super happy for my year, super happy with Dani and with the team.
“I’d like to say thanks to my mechanics, my family, my friends, my girlfriend, all the people who are supporting me throughout Argentina. I’m really happy to end the year like this.”
Quintero was left rueing the road penalty collected on day two and he was not even the fastest on the final day. That honour fell to his Toyota Gazoo Racing team-mate Toby Price, the former motorcycle star and navigator Armand Monleon breaking the timing beam at the end just six seconds faster than Quintero and his co-driver Andrew Short.
Price and Short finished third overall, the first three all using Toyota Hilux equipment and separated by just three minutes after three arduous days of competition.
Also celebrating after securing the FIA Middle East Baja Cup is Saudi driver Dania Akeel. Partnered by Frenchman Sebastien Delaunay, Akeel rose one place to finish sixth overall and take the championship victory after leading her three title rivals throughout the final event.
The Zayed and Rashid Stage 3 started and finished in front of enthusiastic crowd at the Al Marmoom spectator area on the edge of the Al Qudra Desert with similar challenging terrain to that faced by the crews on day two.
The stage takes its name from the historic meeting on 18 February 1968, when His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, then Ruler of Abu Dhabi, met with Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, at the border between the two emirates. Their agreement to unite Abu Dhabi and Dubai laid the foundation for the vision that ultimately brought together all seven emirates of the UAE.
This year’s event continues to innovate in the area of sustainability and the organisers have introduced a visual symbol to emphasise that development which is sure to be a source of pride for everyone from the region.
Further reducing the environmental footprint of the event and creating an important visual symbol, the Dubai Municipality have also planted trees in the start area to create a unique and lasting reminder of the importance of resilience and sustainability.
At the start of competition each day the competitors pass through the start line flanked by the native ghaf tree of UAE which is renowned for its ability to remain green in the desert.
The ghaf is currently a protected species and is a fitting image of the resilience required in baja rallying as well as the fragile nature of the environment which all in the Dubai motorsports community are committed to protecting.
Emirates Motorsports Organization was recently honoured by the award of FIA 2-Star Environmental Accreditation for its other flagship event, Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and Dubai International Baja also benefits from similar strategies as EMSO underscores its dedication to safeguarding the spectacular desert environment.
Another of the initiatives introduced this year is a large leakproof inflatable tray onto which the vehicles roll at the various stopping points throughout the event, thereby minimising the environmental footprint in the delicate desert landscape.
Further innovation in this key area of attention appears at the Service Park where waste oil collection is via a four drum spill pallet with four drums for waste oil using a rotational moulding process which ensures that any leaked liquid automatically flows into the tray or the platform along the tray or the platform grid. This is augmented by a spill kit placed next to the waste oil collectors.
EMSO President H.E. Khalid Ben Sulayem commented: “This has been a spectacular event across Dubai and its surrounding regions, highlighting to the world so much of what the UAE has to offer. It was especially rewarding to bring Friday’s opening action back to the stunning Hatta mountains for a second time after its introduction last year.
“From the rugged beauty of Hatta to two days of fantastic competition in the Al Qudra desert, I’m delighted that the Dubai International Baja has once again delivered a truly memorable celebration of off-road motorsport.
“I’m proud that our event can take its place, not just among the most important off road rallying events in the world, but also in the suite of activities during the month long celebration leading to UAE National Day on December 2nd.”
The Dubai International Baja is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai and is expertly organised by the Emirates Motorsport Organization (EMSO).
The Baja is supported by the strategic collaboration of the Dubai Government and its entities, including the Dubai Police, Dubai Sports Council, Road and Transport Authority, and Dubai Municipality as well as the event’s Official Automotive Partner Al-Futtaim Toyota. The Dubai International Baja also counts with the support of Hydration Partner Al Ain Water and Dubai Sports TV.
