Dubai: How the desert inspired this Emirati to become a world champion

More than three decades ago, Mohammed Al Balooshi’s house in Al Rashidiya, Dubai, offered a panoramic view of the majestic dunes.

“I remember my father’s first house was in Al Rashidiya. And it was the last house on that street, and after that, all you could see was the desert,” Al Balooshi recalled when asked to reveal the secret to his glorious success as a rally driver in the desert.

A young Al Balooshi could not resist the allure of the dazzling desert.

Coupled with his motorsport heritage — his uncle Hassan Bin Ali Al-Shadoor was the co-pilot for Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the UAE rally legend and the current president of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile), his love for the desert acted as a catalyst for his world championship-winning voyages across the world.

The Emirati rider is now going for his third world championship title this weekend at the Dubai International Baja.

Al Balooshi is the overwhelming favourite to complete a hat trick of world championships, but it’s still the start of his journey that fills his heart with pride.

“If you ask me why I have seen success as a rally rider in the desert, well, that’s because I know the desert very, very well,” he said with a beaming smile.

“Growing up, we would play everything on the dunes. So, for me when I got the bike, it was easy to ride on the sand.

“Now we have lots of Europeans and Americans coming here, they ask us many things about the desert, how we seem to know which way to go because they struggle to make the right decisions. “But it’s difficult to explain them because we have grown up in these deserts, and we know what to do. It’s very natural for us to feel at home in the desert.”

Dubai may have undergone the most stunning transformation in less than three decades with iconic skyscrapers changing the landscape completely, but for Al Balooshi, it’s still the pristine sand that’s more appealing to his eyes.

“For me, I am the desert guy from the day I was born. All I know is the desert,” he said.

“It’s nice to see all the amazing buildings and roads that the government have built for us, they have given us this amazing lifestyle. But at the same time, they have also kept the desert for us to still go and have fun, ride and be attached to the past, while not forgetting the future.”

Legendary mentor

What Al Balooshi will also never forget is the role played by a Belgian rally legend in his life.

“I was fortunate enough that the late Georges Jobe took me under his wings in 2003. He was the five-time FIM motocross world champion,” he said.

“He was my mentor from 2003 until he passed away in 2012. I was living in Belgium, racing in France, Germany, Luxembourg. He did a lot for me, I learned a lot from him, he shaped me as a sportsman, and he made me who I am today.”

Al Balooshi admitted that he would not have made it to Dakar without the guidance of Jobe, who passed away in 2012 — the year in which he made history as the first Emirati to qualify for the world’s most famous rally.

“He had all these plans and he was the one who pulled all the strings for me to be in the factory to do the Dakar in 2012. So, I cannot thank him enough” he said.

The Pinnacle

The first of his six Dakar Rally races still gives him goosebumps.

“Dakar Rally is the pinnacle of our sport. I was very fortunate to qualify in 2012 to go and race as the first GCC rider and with that came a lot of responsibility,” he said.

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