The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is an international rally raid race held in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi of the United Arab Emirates since 1991. The race is points scoring for the World Rally-Raid Championship and is organized by the Automobile & Touring Club of the United Arab Emirates (ATCUAE), headed by the event founder Mohammed bin Sulayem.
Originally for cars only, motorcycles and quads are allowed since 1995 and trucks since 2002.
The event was originally known as the UAE Desert Challenge, since it spanned several emirates of the country. Since 2009, the route includes five stages (plus a Super Special stage) entirely within the Abu Dhabi emirate, and the title changed to the current one.
Winners
Cars Year Driver Codriver Car 1991 Mohammed Mattar Hassan Ali Bin Shahdoor Land Rover Defender 1992 Mohammed Mattar Hassan Ali Bin Shahdoor Land Rover Defender 1993 Saeed Al-Hajri Henri Magne Mitsubishi Pajero 1994 Jean-Louis Schlesser – Buggy Schlesser 1995 Jean-Louis Schlesser – Buggy Schlesser 1996 Bruno Saby Dominique Serieys Mitsubishi Pajero 1997 Ari Vatanen Fred Gallagher Citroën ZX Rally Raid 1998 Jean-Pierre Fontenay Gilles Picard Mitsubishi Pajero 1999 Jean-Louis Schlesser Henri Magne Buggy Schlesser 2000 Jean-Louis Schlesser Jean-Marie Lurquin Buggy Schlesser 2001 Jean-Louis Schlesser Henri Magne Buggy Schlesser 2002 Stéphane Peterhansel Jean-Paul Cottret Mitsubishi Pajero 2003 Stéphane Peterhansel Jean-Paul Cottret Mitsubishi Pajero 2004 Hiroshi Masuoka Andreas Schulz Mitsubishi Pajero 2005 Stéphane Peterhansel Jean-Paul Cottret Mitsubishi Evo 2006 Luc Alphand Gilles Picard Mitsubishi Evo 2007 Stéphane Peterhansel Jean-Paul Cottret Mitsubishi Evo (8) 2008 Nasser Al-Attiyah Tina Thörner BMW X3 2009 Guerlain Chicherit Tina Thörner BMW X3 2010 Leonid Novitskiy Andreas Schulz BMW X3 2011 Stéphane Peterhansel Jean-Paul Cottret Mini All 4 Racing 2012 Jean-Louis Schlesser Konstantin Zhiltsov Buggy Schlesser 2013 Nani Roma Michel Perin Mini All 4 Racing 2014 Vladimir Vasilyev Konstantin Zhiltsov Mini All 4 Racing 2015 Vladimir Vasilyev Konstantin Zhiltsov Mini All 4 Racing 2016 Nasser Al-Attiyah Mathieu Baumel Toyota Hilux Overdrive 2017 Sh. Khalid Al Qassimi Khalid Al Kendi Peugeot 3008 DKR 2018 Martin Prokop David Pabiška Ford F-150 Evo 2019 Stéphane Peterhansel Andrea Peterhansel Mini JCW Rally X-Raid 2020 Not held 2021 Nasser Al-Attiyah Mathieu Baumel Toyota Hilux Dakar 2022 Stéphane Peterhansel Edouard Boulanger Audi RS Q e-tron 2023 Yazeed Al-Rajhi Timo Gottschalk Toyota GR DKR Hilux 2024 Nasser Al-Attiyah Edouard Boulanger Prodrive Hunter T1+ 2025 Nasser Al-Attiyah Edouard Boulanger Dacia Sandrider
Motorcycles Year Rider Motorcycle 1995 Heinz Kinigadner KTM LC4 1996 Stéphane Peterhansel Yamaha M3 1997 Jordi Arcarons KTM 660 1998 Heinz Kinigadner KTM LC4 660 1999 Fabrizio Meoni KTM 660 2000 Jimmy Lewis BMW 900 RR 2001 Cyril Despres KTM 660 2002 Cyril Despres KTM 660 2003 Cyril Despres KTM 660 2004 Isidre Esteve KTM 660 2005 Cyril Despres KTM 660 2006 Marc Coma KTM 660 2007 Marc Coma KTM 660 2008 Cyril Despres KTM 690 2009 Marc Coma KTM 690 2010 Marc Coma KTM 690 Rally 2011 Marc Coma KTM 450 Rally 2012 Marc Coma KTM 450 Rally 2013 Marc Coma KTM 450 Rally 2014 Paulo Gonçalves Honda 2015 Marc Coma KTM 450 Rally 2016 Toby Price KTM 450 Rally 2017 Sam Sunderland KTM 450 Rally 2018 Pablo Quintanilla Husqvarna 450 Rally 2019 Sam Sunderland KTM 450 Rally 2020 Not held 2021 Matthias Walkner KTM 450 Rally 2022 Sam Sunderland Gas Gas 450 Rally Factory Replica 2023 Adrien Van Beveren Honda CRF 450 Rally 2024 Aaron Marè Hero 450 Rally 2025 Daniel Sanders KTM 450 Rally Factory
References
External links