Nissan lights up the 14th Hail Nissan International Cross
After renewing its sponsorship agreement of the Hail Nissan International Rally during a ceremony held in Hail, and attended by His Highness Prince Abdullah Bin Khalid Bin Abdullah AlSaud, Assistant Chief of the High Commission for the Development of Hail, in December of last year; Nissan reaffirms its commitment to the exciting event as the 14th installment of the rally comes to an end. The first leg of the race began on Saturday December 29th with drivers crossing the finish line on the 1st of January 2019, making for a thrilling start to the new year.
47 drivers registered to compete in this year’s rally with the majority, 24, driving Nissan vehicles. 40 drivers registered to race in the 4×4 category, including the return of special needs driver, Fahad Abdul Latif, who is considered to be the third deaf person to participate professionally in rally motorsports competitions worldwide, while 7 drivers took part in the 4×2 category of the rally.
The Japanese manufacturer dominated the podium for the second year in a row with the top three winners all driving Nissan vehicles. The victory also came as Nissan’s third consecutive win and fourth in the span of six years.
To mark the occasion, Bader Al Houssami, Chief Operating Officer of Nissan KSA, commented: “We are delighted and honored to be a part of the most important motorsports event in the north of Saudi Arabia. Nissan has a grand history of participation in the Hail Nissan International Rally and we are ecstatic about this year’s results as well.
As Nissan sets its vision for the future of motoring, embodied by ‘Nissan Intelligent Mobility’, the Hail Nissan Rally is a perfect fit as it is a prime example of the Kingdoms’ future vision for motorsports. We also reaffirmed our commitment to the Hail Rally festival through a variety of family-friendly activities, organized by Nissan, which offered something for all ages to enjoy. Nissan would like to congratulate the winners, the people of Hail, and everyone who took part in organizing this great event and hope to see everyone again for next year’s rally.”
As part of its sponsorship of the Hail Nissan International Rally, Nissan also organized a variety of events during the festival including an arts and crafts competition specific to the culture of Hail. Three winners were chosen for each category of the competition, which focused on cooking and crafts that best represent the community of Hail, by a committee made up of members of Nissan KSA and the municipality of Hail.
It has been a great year in motorsports for Nissan KSA. In addition to being the main sponsor of the Hail Nissan Rally for the sixth year running, Nissan made its debut in Formula E during the first-ever race to be hosted in the kingdom. Furthermore, Nissan KSA has trained the first-ever Saudi female race-driver, Reem Al-Aboud, to get behind the wheel of a Formula E car and drive hot laps around the Addiriyah circuit.
The 14th Hail Nissan International Rally was organized in collaboration with: The High Commission for the Development of Hail, The Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, The General Sports Authority, The Saudi Automobile, and Touring Association and under the patronage of Prince Abdulaziz bin Saad AlSaud, Prince of Hail and President of the High Commission for the Development of Hail.
The sponsorship agreement signed last year spans the duration of three years. This year’s race marks the second year since the renewal of the sponsorship.
