The State of Kuwait has announced the exciting news that it has been selected to host the fifth round of the 2023 FIA Middle East Cup for Cross-Country Bajas and is set to host a candidate/trial event on December 15th-17th.
The exciting new Baja is being organised by the Kuwait International Motorsport Club (KIMC) in co-operation with the Kuwait International Automobile Club (KIAC).
Competitive action will be held over two selective sections of 175.63km apiece across the remote Kuwaiti deserts on December 16th and 17th. Each stage starts at the northern gateway town of Abdali and finishes at the Jal Al Liya escarpment, north of Al-Mutla City.
The Baja headquarters will be based adjacent to the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah bridge, near South Island, in Kuwait City. This venue will host scrutineering and administration on December 14th and the pre-event press conference and ceremonial start on December 15th.
Kuwait’s Emad Jawd Bukhamseen is the chairman of the organising committee working alongside committee members, Issa Hamzeh, Mohammed Bukhamseen, Garbis Karzelian, Hamad Marafie, Hamad Al-Saif, Meshari Al-Sabti, John Spiller and Fuad Abu Arja.
Bukhamseen said: « On behalf of the organising committee and the board of directors at the Kuwait International Motorsport Club, I would like to thank the Minister of State for Youth Affairs, His Excellency Abdul Rahman Al-Mutairi, for his patronage of the Kuwait International Baja.
« Competitive sections have been chosen in the northern region of Kuwait and we are confident that all competitors will show their skills to the limit. We extend our thanks to the Governor of Jahra Governorate, His Excellency Mr. Nasser Falah Al-Hajraf, all departments of the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Health and to the general administration of Fire Fighting for their support. »
Former international co-driver Spiller will act as Clerk of the Course for the first time working alongside his deputy Al-Sabti.
Spiller was a regular co-driver in the FIA Middle East Rally Championship between 1984 and 2002 with the likes of Saeed Al-Hajri and FIA President and former rally driver Mohammed ben Sulayem, He has recently been an integral member of the organising teams for the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and Rally Kazakhstan.
Cross-country rallying is not new to Kuwait. The Marlboro BP 2000 Desert Challenge was inaugurated across Kuwaiti terrain in 1987. Ahmed Al-Hilal and co-driver Fahed Al-Rashed won that first event in a Mitsubishi Pajero Turbo by just 14 seconds.
Assuming December’s candidate event ticks all the relevant FIA boxes, the Kuwait International Baja will take its place in an expanded 2023 calendar for the FIA Middle East Cup for Cross-Country Bajas.
The Saudi Baja moves to a slot in early February, there will be another new event in Turkey and the Jordan Baja moves from February to the start of November.
2023 FIA Middle East Cup for Cross-Country Bajas (provisional calendar):
Saudi Baja – February 2-4
Qatar International Baja – March 16-18
Baja Troia, Turkey – TBA
Jordan Baja – November 2-4
Kuwait International Baja – November 23-25
Dubai International Baja – December 1-3