(MENAFN- Mid-East.Info) Veteran Sim Racers Sultan Khalifa, and Salem al Mesmari will represent the UAE in October at the 3rd annual MENA Esports CUP against the best of the best from across the region.
Dubai, UAE: Two skilled Sim Racers have topped the regional qualifiers of the 3rd annual Toyota GAZOO Racing MENA Esports Cup to earn their spots in the tournament's regional finals in Jordan in October.
The two veteran Sim Racers, Sultan Khalifa, and Salem al Mesmari, will now travel to Amman on the 13th of October to represent the UAE against the best of the best from across the region, facing off against competitors from Jordan, KSA, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Yemen and Tunisia.
Sultan Khalifa is a veteran of the Toyota GAZOO Racing MENA Esports Cup, having competed in the last two championships, as well as a former UAE Esports Champion. Sultan was also a top contender in the Al-Futtaim Toyota Motorsport Academy 2023, having finished 6th overall.“I'm extremely excited to represent the UAE in this regional tournament, and grateful to the Al-Futtaim Motorsport Division for supporting me in this competition. Hopefully I will bring home the trophy for the United Arab Emirates!” said Sultan.
Also a seasoned motorsports enthusiast, Salem Al Mesmari has competed in the EMSO MENA Digital Cup and the UAE Autocross Challenge.“It was a tough competition for the UAE national qualifiers, and I'm proud to have the opportunity to represent the UAE in the finals in Jordan for the third year in a row. Many thanks to the Motorsport Division of Al-Futtaim for supporting us in our ambitions to compete in Esports, and I will do my best to win for the UAE at the finals,” said Salem.
Commenting on the finalists, Alaa Tarawneh, Motorsport Manager at Al-Futtaim Toyota & Lexus, said:“Congratulations to Sultan and Salem for qualifying and representing the UAE in this thrilling competition. Al-Futtaim Automotive is deeply committed to developing motorsports talent in the country, which is why it gives us great pleasure to support these young racers in their bid to become the Toyota GAZOO Racing MENA Esports Cup winner for 2023. Al-Futtaim's Motorsport Division is a proud partner of Toyota GAZOO Racing in the UAE, and we look forward to seeing Sultan and Salem compete against the region's best in the 2023 MENA Esports Cup finals in October.”
Toyota GAZOO Racing MENA Esports Cup:
With races conducted on the Gran Turismo 7 racing simulator platform, the Toyota GAZOO Racing MENA Esports Cup is an annual event that brings together professional sim racers from across the region for thrilling competitions and showcases the pinnacle of virtual racing talent.
The MENA Esports Cup aims to make motorsport digitally innovative, accessible and inclusive for motorsports enthusiasts from all walks of life. The ever-improving technology of simulators and games emulates motorsports with ever-increasing realism, and through grassroots competitions that create racing champions in Esports, the FIA will provide legitimacy to this new discipline and generate increased engagement in motorsports amongst the world's youth.
Organised by Desert Fox Racing, the 2023 Toyota GAZOO Racing MENA Esports Cup is officially sponsored by Toyota Motor Corporation, represented by Toyota GAZOO Racing and supervised by Jordan Motorsport as the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) representative.
About Al-Futtaim Toyota:
Toyota, a Japanese automotive manufacturer founded in 1937, is the world's market leader in sales of hybrid electric vehicles. Toyota has been exclusively distributed in the UAE by Al-Futtaim Automotive, part of Al-Futtaim Group, for over six decades, and has been leading the sustainable mobility movement since 2008.
With a large line-up of vehicles ranging from SUV, compact, sedan, coupe, MPV and LCV, as well as a wide range of Hybrid options, Al-Futtaim Toyota is setting new benchmarks for clean motoring in an effort to actively contribute to a lower carbon footprint in the UAE. 2017 saw the introduction of the zero-emission hydrogen-powered Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) Toyota Mirai, in a pilot aiming at studying the possibilities of establishing a hydrogen-based, carbon-free society.
Toyota's line-up features several hybrid vehicles including the sporty, practical and environmentally friendly RAV4, the C-HR, an innovative compact SUV, the seven-seater Highlander which is the brands biggest HEV to date, the powerful and efficient Corolla and the sleek and sophisticated Camry.
In September 2019, after a 17-year wait, Al-Futtaim Toyota launched the new 2020 Toyota GR Supra in the UAE, much to the delight of fans and loyalists across the country. With the all-new fifth-generation model, the legendary name returned to set the roads ablaze with a comeback only fitting of the Toyota Supra story, with the 2021 version launching a year later in October 2020.
In August 2020 Al-Futtaim Toyota shook up the lifestyle pickup segment with the introduction of the all-new eighth-generation Toyota Hilux Adventure. This was the first time ever that the Hilux is available as a retail model in the UAE, meaning that it is no longer limited to dominating the commercial-use sector.
About Al-Futtaim Automotive:
Al-Futtaim Automotive, one of the main five operating divisions within the UAE-based Al-Futtaim Group of companies, is a conglomerate of motoring-related businesses, franchising some of the world's most-recognized automotive brands and services.
Operating in 10 countries across the Middle East, Asia and Africa and empowered by around 9,000 associates, the UAE-headquartered Group's services span across distribution of new and used vehicles, manufacturing, leasing, and aftersales.
Ranging from passenger cars to SUVs, commercial vehicles, industrial and construction equipment as well as motorbikes and quads, Al-Futtaim Automotive Group offers an integrative customer-centric experience for motorists, fleet operators and contractors alike, and strives to become the leader in tailor-made mobility solutions.
About Al-Futtaim Group:
Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Structured into five operating divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail, and health; employing more than 33,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, we partner with over 200 of the world's most admired and innovative brands.
Al-Futtaim Group's entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enable the organisation to continue to grow and expand, responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate. By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration, and integrity, Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers every day.