Emirati motocross legend Mohammed Al Balooshi believes this summer’s Arenacross finals in Abu Dhabi will “create that spark” to inspire the next generation of UAE motorcycling talent.
Al Balooshi, 45, is a five-time Arab MX champion and three-time FIM Bajas world champion. He was also the first Emirati to compete in the Dakar Rally.
While still an active competitor, he devotes much of his time to mentoring aspiring riders at his MX Academy in Dubai, where young racers hone their skills and dream of making their mark at major international events.
Some of them will get the chance to do precisely that on July 5, when the Arenacross World Tour Finals come to Abu Dhabi for the first time.
The UAE debut of Arenacross – like motocross on steroids and indoors – further cements Yas Island’s status as a global motorsports hub. It also offers UAE talent the chance to shine, with a competition for local riders set to open the show at Etihad Arena.
“[For local riders] to get a platform on such a big stage like this, I think this is the icing on the cake,” said Al Balooshi.
“And I think from here the future is bright for the upcoming riders and for the representatives of the UAE in future competitions.”
Al Balooshi’s academy was founded in 2011 for riders of all levels but with the ultimate aim to “bring up world champions”. He feels the opportunity for his pupils to compete in front of a packed Etihad Arena amid the adrenalin-soaked glamour of Arenacross will provide the perfect incentive for those serious about a full-time career in the sport.
I'm sure this will create that spark, that fire they need to pursue their career. Because we all need that moment. I believe this will be that moment, where they can take off
Mohammed Al Balooshi
“We started the academy in 2011 to give back to the community, to introduce the sport and to reach as many people as possible,” he said. “New clients and new members of the sport, to teach the basic foundations of riding. How to ride safe and how to be safe on the bike because this is such a beautiful sport... It's really a lot of hard work on the body and mind. So, yeah, we started this as our future plan to introduce [the sport] and hopefully to bring up world champions from this academy.
“This is the first time Arenacross is coming [to the UAE], our members are participating in the side event. So, this is their first introduction to this. I'm sure this will create that spark, that fire they need to pursue their career. Because we all need that moment. I believe this will be that moment, where they can take off.”
Al Balooshi describes the UAE as a nation of “petrolheads”, and his career has spanned vast progress across many disciplines of motorsport.
Racing in dirt cars and motorcycles through the open desert is deeply embedded in Emirati culture since the early 1970s which in turn helped establish the UAE as a hot spot for desert rallies such as the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the Dubai International Baja. Etihad Arena was also the venue for the FIM World Supercross Championships in 2023 and 2024.
“The culture here, before motocross, is off-road. You see around, we have the most beautiful desert in the whole world,” Al Balooshi explained. “So, to do any activity with the automotive industry is the best, because you bring the best of the best to come and race and put a good show where you can introduce a new event for people get to know what this sport is all about.
“The sport has been here since the early 1970s but now finally we see the big growth is coming in and a lot more. In the past 25 years of my career I've seen it growing every year, every five, ten, growing more and more.
“All of us here are petrolheads and we all love our bikes and cars … so it was a cultural thing and then soon we found, oh, you can race them. There is like a controlled environment where you can race and be safe and enjoy.
“The Arenacross is the next step, reaching the next level. I'm a very happy and proud Emirati to see the sport has grown to this point, and this is the best thing that happened to motorsports.”
As a young man, Al Balooshi grew up trying to emulate Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the incumbent FIA president and one of the most successful rally drivers in the Middle East with 14 championship titles.
“For me and for many of us in the sport, he was our hero at the time,” Al Balooshi said of Ben Sulayem. “Everyone at that time, including me, wanted to be like him. However, I didn't go towards the cars but took a liking to bikes.
“When I started the sport, we had only local races. Now we have two major international races – the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the Dubai International Baja.”
Matt Bates, CEO and founder of Arenacross, is excited to bring the event outside of the United Kingdom for the first time since it was launched in 2013.
A former rider himself, Bates said to stage the season-ending championship race in Abu Dhabi was a breakthrough for the sport.
“Motocross is a sport that's been around a long time and we, many years ago, kind of perfected the art of putting motocross indoors and choreographing a performance and a show,” he said.
“What people can expect are some of the world's best motocross racers competing in an end of season championship, no different to any sport, any motorsport.
“But then what we wrap around that are the performances of freestyle motocross which is bikes backflipping and doing all sorts of tricks.
“We also then put the young kids that are the up and coming future of the sport, not just the sport of motocross but motorsports enthusiasts, and we train them to take part through an academy working with people like Mohammed Al Balooshi in putting the right riders forward and then they also compete in the event.”
Lining up for the championship event are the UK’s Dean Wilson, the current Arenacross championship leader, and compatriots Tommy Searle and Jack Brunell, the 2023 and 2024 Arenacross champions, respectively. Challenging them are French riders Cedric Soubeyras, Thomas Ramette and Adrien Escoffier, to name just a few.
Tickets are available from www.etihadarena.ae.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
RESULT
Bayern Munich 5 Eintrracht Frankfurt 2
Bayern: Goretzka (17'), Müller (41'), Lewandowski (46'), Davies (61'), Hinteregger (74' og)
Frankfurt: Hinteregger (52', 55')
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Switch%20Foods%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Edward%20Hamod%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Plant-based%20meat%20production%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2034%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%246.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20round%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Based%20in%20US%20and%20across%20Middle%20East%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%20Twin-turbocharged%204-litre%20V8%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20625%20bhp%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20630Nm%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Now%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh974%2C011%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
HAJJAN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Abu%20Bakr%20Shawky%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3EStarring%3A%20Omar%20Alatawi%2C%20Tulin%20Essam%2C%20Ibrahim%20Al-Hasawi%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Race results:
1. Thani Al Qemzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi: 46.44 min
2. Peter Morin (FRA) CTIC F1 Shenzhen China Team: 0.91sec
3. Sami Selio (FIN) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team: 31.43sec
What should do investors do now?
What does the S&P 500's new all-time high mean for the average investor?
Should I be euphoric?
No. It's fine to be pleased about hearty returns on your investments. But it's not a good idea to tie your emotions closely to the ups and downs of the stock market. You'll get tired fast. This market moment comes on the heels of last year's nosedive. And it's not the first or last time the stock market will make a dramatic move.
So what happened?
It's more about what happened last year. Many of the concerns that triggered that plunge towards the end of last have largely been quelled. The US and China are slowly moving toward a trade agreement. The Federal Reserve has indicated it likely will not raise rates at all in 2019 after seven recent increases. And those changes, along with some strong earnings reports and broader healthy economic indicators, have fueled some optimism in stock markets.
"The panic in the fourth quarter was based mostly on fears," says Brent Schutte, chief investment strategist for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "The fundamentals have mostly held up, while the fears have gone away and the fears were based mostly on emotion."
Should I buy? Should I sell?
Maybe. It depends on what your long-term investment plan is. The best advice is usually the same no matter the day — determine your financial goals, make a plan to reach them and stick to it.
"I would encourage (investors) not to overreact to highs, just as I would encourage them not to overreact to the lows of December," Mr Schutte says.
All the same, there are some situations in which you should consider taking action. If you think you can't live through another low like last year, the time to get out is now. If the balance of assets in your portfolio is out of whack thanks to the rise of the stock market, make adjustments. And if you need your money in the next five to 10 years, it shouldn't be in stocks anyhow. But for most people, it's also a good time to just leave things be.
Resist the urge to abandon the diversification of your portfolio, Mr Schutte cautions. It may be tempting to shed other investments that aren't performing as well, such as some international stocks, but diversification is designed to help steady your performance over time.
Will the rally last?
No one knows for sure. But David Bailin, chief investment officer at Citi Private Bank, expects the US market could move up 5 per cent to 7 per cent more over the next nine to 12 months, provided the Fed doesn't raise rates and earnings growth exceeds current expectations. We are in a late cycle market, a period when US equities have historically done very well, but volatility also rises, he says.
"This phase can last six months to several years, but it's important clients remain invested and not try to prematurely position for a contraction of the market," Mr Bailin says. "Doing so would risk missing out on important portfolio returns."
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E470hp%2C%20338kW%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20620Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh491%2C500%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
