FOR the fourth year in a row, Nissan has confirmed its support for Saudi motorsport by sponsoring the Hail Nissan International Rally 2017. As part of its promise to deliver innovation and excitement to the Kingdom Nissan will be holding a program of activities that will engage with the community and specifically the Saudi Youth.
“Nissan has been in motorsport since the 1960s because it is a great way to make sure we are at the forefront of engineering,” said Simon Frith, Managing Director of Nissan Saudi Arabia. “There is no greater test of desert performance than the Hail Rally which has become a firm fixture on the region’s motorsport calendar. We are proud to be the sponsors and also to compete. We are dedicated to support and develop the talented drivers participating in rallying in the Kingdom.”
The Hail International Rally is held under the direct patronage of Prince Saud Bin Abdul Mohsen Bin Abdul Aziz, Governor of Hail, President of the Supreme Commission for Hail Development Authority, and the Head of the Supreme Commission of the Hail Rally, as well as being under the supervision of the FIA and Saudi Arabian Motor Federation (SAMF) and the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage.
“Nissan is committed to engaging with, and involving, the youth of Saudi Arabia,” added Simon, “and Hail International Rally is an ideal arena for this as it’s something young people are very excited about. It’s also a safe and legal environment in which young people are able to enjoy the performance of modified cars, away from the roads and other public spaces.”
Like previous years Nissan will organize activities and events that celebrate driving and motorsport, as well as the rich and ancient heritage of the region. The activities will include karting, drifting shows and football games – each coming with an element of competition to up the excitement for anyone taking part throughout the entire Hail International Desert Festival.
Nissan will also be giving rally fans the opportunity to test drive some of the latest models in its extensive line-up. But there’s more to the company’s involvement than motoring as Nissan is to conduct a cooking and handicraft competition, too, which will showcase the rich and diverse culture of the Hail community.
Last year, Nissan completed the rally with results that are worth celebrating. Nissan drivers won in the T2 group and were second in T1 group. Nissan also took third, fourth, sixth, seventh, ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth positions in the overall rally ranking confirming Nissan’s vehicles power, efficiency and reliability in these exceptional desert racing conditions. — SG
