Burj Khalifa is last stop in first inter-GCC rally

Staff report  www.gulfnews.com

Dubai: The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the final stop in what organisers claim is the first interactive inter-GCC rally tour that sets the stage for an exciting competition in six GCC countries.

Eighteen people will be recruited to form six teams to participate in the 4,000km-long Focus Rabaa challenge, which kicks off in Riyadh in late April and will take the teams through six GCC countries in 10 days. The final challenge will be held at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Six teams from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE will feature in the competition. Celebrities Anas Bukhash of the UAE, Nabil Al Busaidi, Ismail Abdulatif, Abdu Aziz Hassan, Barakat Al Wegyan, and Khalid Khalifa will individually lead teams representing their countries.

The team that wins the most points in seven challenges wins a new Ford Focus for each team member. Registration is open from March 7 to 29 on the Ford Middle East Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FordMiddleEast), rally organiser Ford Middle East said in a press release on Wednesday.

The finalist teams will be selected from a two-round online process featuring voting from fans as well as demonstrations of their own skills.

“We are very excited to launch this incredible journey across the region,” said Paul Anderson, Marketing director of Ford Middle East. “The Focus Rabaa rally tour is a region-first activity that Ford is proud to bring to the GCC. We have had great feedback from audiences when we first launched similar challenges in other global markets and we are confident that this activity will equally engage a broad audience across the GCC.”

A test of skills

The competition will be a test for driving skills, endurance, and the use of the new 2012 Ford Focus technologies, as participants drive across Gulf countries to complete a series of tasks and challenges.

Teams will be rated on their skills and performance rather than speed, as well as the level of participation and support of their fans.

Fan participation

While the six teams compete against each other during the rally, fans from across the region will also have the chance to support their favourite team by participating in online challenges on the Ford Middle East Facebook page that will directly impact the results of the . Fans will also get the chance to win a new Ford Focus. More info