By Sports Reporter/Doha

This year, Qatari legend Saeed al-Hajri, popularly known as ‘King of Dunes’ is celebrating the 30th anniversary of his winning the FIA Middle East Rally Championship – Qatar International Rally in 1984 with his Porsche 911 SCRS. He won the title wearing the colours of Rothman’s Rally Team, co-piloted by John Spiller. To celebrate the occasion, he joined hands with David Richards, the man behind Prodrive who prepared the Porsche 911, on the sidelines of this year’s edition of Qatar International Rally.
“I started rallying in 1978, at a time when this sport was new to this region. I was fortunate to have a good team and sponsors, and enjoyed enormous support from my country. It was a tough event in 1984 but my Porsche 911, the car which I loved always, gave me victory at the end. And I have successfully driven my 911 to many more victories” Saeed said.
Saeed al-Hajri had firmly established himself as the Arab world’s No. 1 driver, by making a considerable impression on World and European rallying with the Rothmans Rally Team. He was the Gulf Champion in 1982/83 and 1983/84. Saeed also won the Middle East title in 1983/84 and the FIA Middle East Rally Championship in 1984 and 1985.
In 1983, Saeed became the first Arab to score points in the European Championship when he finished fourth in the Rothmans Cyprus Rally.
Then in 1985 he became the first Arab to win World Championship points with fifth place in the Acropolis Rally (followed by a sensational fourth place the following year). He is also the first Arab ever to win an International Rally outside the Middle East – the 1989 Cork International.
He began rallying in 1978 and in 1982 joined the Rothmans Rally Team, driving an Opel Ascona to victory in the Qatar and Kuwait Rallies and second place in Oman, Dubai and Bahrain for the championships. He retained his Gulf title the following year, but also added the Middle East Challenge and then the FISA Championships of 1984 and 1985 in a Rothmans Porsche 911 SCRS.
To date, he has achieved victories in 18 international rallies, the most recent one is a commendable sixth position in the world’s toughest rally, Paris – Dakar in 2002 and a successful finish in Transsyberia 2007.