Emirati rider Mohammed Al Balushi is set to celebrate his title as a 'motorcycling legend' in the FIM Baja World Cup during his current participation in the Dubai International Rally – the final round of the 2025 season for cars, motorcycles, and quads. The rally, now in its ninth edition, kicked off yesterday from 'Dubai Festival City Mall' with the participation of 100 teams from 30 countries. Al Balushi enters the rally, guaranteeing himself his third consecutive and fourth career world title, regardless of the result in the Dubai rally, which extends its stages until tomorrow. This is a special celebration that Al Balushi, the 2018, 2023, 2024, and 2025 world champion, is looking for to declare himself the most decorated rider in the history of the FIM Baja World Cup. Mohammed Al Balushi told 'Al Ittihad': 'I look forward to capping off an exceptional season, climbing the podium in Dubai, dedicating a new achievement to the UAE, and celebrating the perfect picture in front of this audience with the achievement of the most decorated rider in the history of the FIM Baja World Cup.' He added: 'I enter the Dubai rally leading the overall standings with 87 points, comfortably ahead of Lebanese rider Raif Eid in second place with 62 points, which gives me, regardless of the Dubai rally result, the clinching of my fourth world title.' He also said: 'I am determined to deliver the best performance throughout the Dubai rally stages to celebrate my exceptional season in front of the Emirati audience, the achievement I made in the 2025 season, and to break the tie that brought me with Italian rider Alessandro Russo, who was crowned world champion in 2013, 2014, and 2017.' He continued: 'Nothing compares to celebrating in front of this audience that has always stood by me in my past years. In this season, I managed to climb the second-place podium in its opening round in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of February, settle for fifth in the second round in Portugal, before snatching first place in the third round in Jordan last April, and then securing the world championship title in the previous round in Qatar by finishing second.' He concluded: 'Winning in Dubai has a special flavor, as it is the oldest rally in the region. It successfully joined the World Cup calendar in 2012, representing an annual closing of the Baja season, and it attracts the world's elite drivers, whether in cars, motorcycles, or quads.'
