Ford Focus Rabaa Rally teams complete Doha leg

The competing teams in the Ford Focus Rabaa Rally reached Doha for the fourth leg of the first ever interactive inter-GCC rally after successfully completing tasks in three other Gulf states.

Hosted by DJ, music producer and radio presenter Dany Neville, the Ford Focus Rabaa Rally [referring to a gang of friends in Khaleeji dialect] takes GCC teams to each of the Gulf countries to compete in a series of tasks and challenges. Teams score based on their skills and performances rather than speed, as well as the level of online and offline participation and support of their country’s fans.

The teams successfully completed a previous series of challenges in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain with the support of their captains and the teams’ online fans on Ford’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/FordMiddleEast. Fans can help their favourite team win additional points by taking part in the online team challenges on Facebook, similar to the pit crews in a real race.

Team coordination was put to test as each member has a special task to perform successfully in order to garner the most points. With the support of Aspire LOGISTICS, the challenges were held at Qatar’s Aspire Zone which boasts some of the world’s finest sport stadia and venues offering a unique sport, sports medicine, research and education destination for the international sports industry. The actual challenges are kept secret and only revealed just before start, which adds to the excitement factor both for the teams and their fans. 

Paul Anderson, Marketing director of Ford Middle East said: “It’s a test of will and wit for the teams, the captains and the fans for the Ford Focus Rabaa. And the all-new 2012 Ford Focus is revved up to perform. With its new technologies, teams find an additional member taking them through all the challenges they will face in this first ever interactive rally. Online fan support is absolutely crucial to the teams’ success as they will not only help make a difference in their favourite team’s score, but they will be engaged throughout the rally as they are given various online challenges that could also help them win an all-new 2012 Ford Focus!”

Fans are able to follow the action on the Ford Middle East Facebook page and support their favourite team by serving as virtual pit crew, and gain points for their chosen team by taking the online challenges. Ford is also producing an on-line video diary documenting the rally activities, with a new entertaining video episode produced and posted each day of the rally.

The GCC Teams of the Ford Focus Rabaa are led by GCC-celebrities, Anas Bukhash (CEO and Managing Partner – Ahdaaf Sports Club), Nabil Al Busaidi Nabil Al Busaidi (Arab Adventurer), Ismail Abdulatif (Football Striker and Winger, Al Muharraq Club), Abdu Aziz Hassan (Vice President – Qatar Club), Barakat Al Wegyan (TV presenter, Al Watan TV), and Khalid Khalifa (Comedian)

The Qatar team in the Ford Focus Rabaa are:

Team Qatar “I.C.T.”

Captain: Abdul Aziz Hasan, Vice President – Qatar Club

Driver 1: Awfa Ghasab S K Aladawi

Driver 2: Rabay Ghasab S K Aladawi

Driver 3: Ali Essa S A Al-Suwaidi

After Doha, the teams continue to Abu Dhabi, UAE (May 1), Muscat, Oman (May 2) with the final held at the iconic Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE (May 3). The successful team to finish all seven challenges and earn the most points overall will win an all-new 2012 Ford Focus for each team member.  A lucky online fan who has supported the challenges will also win a brand new 2012 Ford Focus.

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