Ultimate goal is to win Dakar Rally title, says Emirati rally driver Nora

Emirati rally driver Nora Al Jassasi delivered a remarkable performance at the recently concluded Dubai International Baja 2025, securing third place in the SSV T4 category and an impressive 21st overall.

Her achievement came despite the setbacks of a 19‑minute waypoint penalty, two speeding infringements, and a €500 FIA fine for carrying bottled water instead of the mandatory waterbag.

Undeterred by these challenges, Nora emerges from the event with renewed determination and an unshakable resolve to push even further in her racing journey.

Across 380kms of punishing terrain, from towering dunes to jagged technical sections, Nora showcased exceptional control and endurance, completing the race without any incidents or mechanical issues.

Reflecting on the challenge, she said: “Alhamdulillah, we did really well finishing such a famous, demanding, long and hard race. It was a long race full-speed driving over dunes and broken dunes in the open desert, and we made it without any rollovers or misfortune! Champions finish Dubai Baja, and we scored third in our class, so we are very happy with our performance.”

By the end of the event, over 835 kms had been completed, and spectators filled every viewing zone, a clear sign of the region’s growing passion for rally-raid motorsport.

For Nora, each of those kilometers wasn’t just a test of skill; it was another step toward her ultimate dream: one day conquering the Dakar Rally.

The Dubai Baja, along with the Qatar International Rally, has served as a crucial proving ground as she prepares for her most ambitious challenge yet: the FIA Middle East Baja Cup 2026.

With the calendar already moving at pace, Nora’s schedule remains packed. She competed at the Qatar Baja on December 5–6, followed by the Abu Dhabi Baja in Liwa on December 13, before turning her focus to the championship season, which begins in January 2026 in Ha’il, Saudi Arabia, and continues two weeks later in Aqaba, Jordan.

Each race sharpens her skills, strengthens her confidence, and fuels her momentum ahead of her first full FIA regional Baja season.

Yet beyond all titles and checkpoints lies her ultimate dream: the Dakar Rally, the “creme de la creme” of rally-raid racing.

Nora’s inspiration traces back to witnessing Nasser Al Attiyah’s victorious Dakar Rally run in Saudi Arabia in 2023, a moment that ignited her determination to one day conquer the same dunes.

She also draws strength from the achievements of Mohammed Ben Sulayem,

former Emirati rally-driving legend and currently the President of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for many major auto-racing events including Formula 1.

Over a career spanning the 1980s to early 2000s, Ben Sulayem dominated regional rallying; winning 14 titles in the Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), and claimed more than 60 victories across the region.

With Arab athletes holding prominent roles in the sport and Saudi Arabia hosting Dakar, the rally world feels closer than ever. For Nora, it is not just a race, it is a calling, an invitation to dream boldly and dare greatly.

Her podium finish in Dubai, her relentless drive, and her commitment to elevating Emirati women in motorsport mark her as one of the region’s most exciting rising talents. And as she charges toward the 2026 season, the road ahead, long, dusty, and full of promise seems destined to carry her ever closer to Dakar Rally glory.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter