Mohammed Ben Sulayem
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Mohammed Ben Sulayem | |||||||||||
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| President of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile | |||||||||||
| Assumed office 17 December 2021 | |||||||||||
| Preceded by | Jean Todt | ||||||||||
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| Born | 12 November 1961 Dubai, Trucial States (now United Arab Emirates) | ||||||||||
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Mohammed Ahmad Sultan Ben Sulayem (Arabic: محمد بن سليم; born 12 November 1961) is an Emirati former rally driver and current president of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile).
He is one of the Arab world's leading motor sport figures. In a career spanning three decades, he has become one of the most successful Arab drivers in motor sports history, earning 14 FIA Middle East Rally Championship titles and establishing himself as a sporting ambassador for the region. In 1991, Sulayem founded the UAE Desert Challenge.[1]
As President of the Automobile & Touring Club of the United Arab Emirates since 2006 he is a patron of a wide range of charities and ambassador for road safety in the UAE; supports motor sport officials' and young drivers' education, training and research to promote motor sport safety; co-edited an academic book on sports management; supporter of classic vehicle movement and automotive heritage.[2]
In 2008, he became the first Arab named as Vice President of the FIA, and the first to be elected to the FIA World Motor Sport Council. As the Vice-President he has pioneered teaching, research and knowledge transfer initiatives in motor sport. He was a key person in the formation and running of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009.[3] In June 2013, he was appointed as chairman of the new Motor Sport Development Task Force set up by the FIA to build a ten-year plan for the sport's global development. In December 2021, he was appointed the FIA President.
Education
Sulayem studied at the American University in Washington D.C., and at the University of Ulster where he majored in business.[4]
In July 2012, Sulayem was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Science from the University of Ulster, in recognition of his services to sport, civic leadership and charity.[5]
Car collection
Sulayem is a prominent car collector in the UAE, known for his extravagant taste in hypercars. Sulayem's collection includes the following:[6]
- Koenigsegg Agera RS in blue carbon
- Koenigsegg Regera in burgundy carbon with gold wheels[7]
- Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Super Sport (1 of 5)
- Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster (chassis #6 of 6 built)
- Ferrari F40
- Ferrari F50
- Ferrari Enzo
- Ferrari LaFerrari
- Porsche 911 GT1 Strasseversion 996
- Porsche Carrera GT
- Porsche 918 Spyder
- McLaren P1
- McLaren Senna
- McLaren Speedtail (x2)
- Pagani Huayra BC
- Bugatti EB 110 SS
- Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport
- Bugatti Chiron
- Jaguar XJ220
- Lexus LFA
- 2005 Ford GT
- 2017 Ford GT
- Multiple Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, including Phantom and Cullinan.
FIA role
In 2008, Sulayem was appointed Vice President of the FIA and a member of the World Motor Sport Council.
The FIA is the global sporting authority for motorsport and represents 100 million car owners in almost 200 countries. The World Motor Sport Council meets at least four times a year to decide on rules, regulations, safety and development of motor sport at every level, from karting to Formula One.
Headed by the FIA President, its membership is chosen by the FIA General Assembly, which contains representatives from national automobile clubs throughout the world.
In his FIA role, Sulayem has pioneered teaching, research and knowledge transfer initiatives in the UAE and elsewhere throughout the world.[citation needed]
In June 2013 he was named as chairman of the FIA's Motor Sport Development Task Force, with the responsibility to devise a strategic plan to develop and grow motorsport in a sustainable manner over the next ten years. It will be the first such plan in the 109-year history of the FIA, and Sulayem immediately started a consultation process with motor sport stakeholders, including manufacturers, the media, promoters, fans and FIA member clubs around the world. He will brief the World Motorsport Council on progress at its September meeting in Croatia, when the other members of the task force will be nominated. He will present the ten-year plan to the FIA General Assembly for approval at the end of 2014.
Sulayem is a founding member of the Arab Council of Touring and Automobile Clubs, which aims to unite the FIA Clubs of Arabic-speaking territories.
In December 2021, Sulayem was elected president of the FIA, succeeding Jean Todt.[8]
References
- ^ "Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge". Archived from the original on 25 April 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
- ^ "FIAProfile". FIS.com. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
- ^ "Who is new FIA President Mohammed ben Sulayem – was he a former driver?". HITC.com. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
- ^ "Mohammed Ben Sulayem". Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
- ^ "Ulster Honours Gulf Rally Driver". www.ulster.ac.uk. 7 November 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ "ECR - Collection - The Mohammed Ben Sulayem Collection". ECR - Collection - The Mohammed Ben Sulayem Collection. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- ^ "ECR - Koenigsegg Regera details". ECR - Koenigsegg Regera details. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- ^ "Mohammed Ben Sulayem elected FIA President". FIA.com. FIA. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
External links
- Mohammed Ben Sulayem
- Ben Sulayem Performance
- [1]
- Jalopnik More on the SLR-Powered Mercedes SLK: Out of the Mouths of Mechanics
- Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE
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