DUBAI, UAE – Dubai-based RX Sport, led by veteran Emirati champion Rashid Al-Ketbi, is raising the bar for Arab motorsport internationally. The team was founded just one month before the 2023 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.
After a career full of personal achievements, Al-Ketbi chose to channel his experience and passion into supporting and developing Arab talent, especially after he was injured in a round of the FIA European Rally Championship.
From Abu Dhabi to the Dakar
That drive took the team to the 2024 Dakar Rally, the world’s toughest rally, only a few months after its debut in Abu Dhabi. On its second Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge appearance, RX Sport won the T4 category, cementing its place in the sport.
Its ambitions go beyond cross-country and Baja World Cup events. RX Sport has also become a platform for Arab champions, welcoming names such as Yahya Al-Helei and his son Mansour, as well as Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi, for the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.
Many UAE teams race mainly at local level. RX Sport stands apart as the first Emirati team to compete internationally in cross-country and Baja rallies. It also works to empower Arab navigators, most notably Khalid Al-Kindi, underlining its wider commitment to regional motorsport.
Al-Wahaibi in the title hunt
Omani rally star Hamad Al-Wahaibi joined RX Sport for this season’s FIA World Baja Cup. He believes the sport’s growth in the region starts with supporting Arab teams, which is why he chose to continue his career with an ambitious Arab outfit.
Partnered by Emirati navigator Khalid Al-Kindi on some events, Al-Wahaibi has produced strong results that put the pair in contention for the SSV title, with more rounds still to come as they prepare for next year’s programme with RX Sport.
After my accident in the European Championship, which resulted in a broken back, I couldn’t stay away from motorsport, a sport that entered my mind and heart in 1992. That’s where the idea to establish the team came from, so I could continue facing the challenges of this world.
Rashid Al-Ketbi
Today, we are competing in the FIA World Baja Cup with my brother and friend, Omani champion Hamad Al Wahaibi. We hold an advanced position after winning the Italian round and achieving second place in the rounds in Spain and Jordan. We are proud to have a champion with Hamad’s experience and achievements in our ranks and we look forward to facing future challenges.
Rashid Al-Ketbi
I am very happy to be with the RX Sport team. This team is ambitious, promising and has proven its worth and high standing in Arab and international motorsport.
Hamad Al-Wahaibi
Rashid Al Ketbi is very ambitious and passionate about motorsport. He considers this sport the centre of his life and goes to extraordinary lengths to raise the Arab flag high on the international stage. I wish the team all the best and trust that all of their dreams, and Rashid’s dreams, will come true in the near future.
Hamad Al-Wahaibi
Khalid Al-Kindi, a longtime friend of Al-Ketbi who admits his “testimony is biased”, explained what makes the team important.
What distinguishes the team is that it reflects Rashid Al-Ketbi’s passion for motorsports. It’s an Emirati team that competes in local and international championships.
Khalid Al-Kindi
The team is also distinguished by its continuous development and its quest to achieve strong results in every round and constantly face new challenges. This was reflected in their participation in the Dakar Rally, in addition to continuously updating the cars to the latest specifications.
Khalid Al-Kindi