Six international motorsport championships will reach their season conclusions on UAE soil over a single month this winter, as Dubai and Abu Dhabi host a consecutive run of major events from 5 November to 6 December 2026.
The sequence opens with the Dubai International Baja from November 5–8, where the final round of both the FIA World Baja Cup and FIA Middle East Baja Cup will be decided, alongside the penultimate round of the FIM Bajas World Cup.
Two weeks later, the 35th Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge runs from November 22–27, hosting the season finale of both the FIA and FIM World Rally-Raid Championships. The month closes with the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island, from 4–6 December, which will also stage the final round of the FIA Formula 2 Championship.
“The closing weeks of 2026 will underline the UAE’s significance on the international motorsport calendar. From Baja and rally raid to Formula 1, the country will host the decisive stages of several major international championships within the space of one month. This concentration of competition reflects many years of investment in motorsport, strong sporting institutions and, importantly, collaboration. Our Member Club EMSO, together with promoters, organisers, government partners, officials and volunteers, plays an important role in delivering international competition to the highest standards. For the FIA, this is also about the future. We must continue to support the safe and sustainable growth of motorsport, create opportunities for the next generation and strengthen our sport internationally. The UAE has an important role to play in that continued development,” Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA said in a statement.
“This remarkable run to the season finale culminates in Abu Dhabi, where we have the privilege of bringing the Formula 1 season to a close at Yas Marina Circuit. As promoter of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, our responsibility is to create a fitting finale to the season and an exceptional experience for everyone who comes to Abu Dhabi, from the teams, drivers and Formula 1 community to the fans travelling from across the world. The season finale has a unique energy and sense of occasion, particularly when there is much still to be decided. Together with FIA, EMSO, Formula 1 and our partners across UAE, we are focused on delivering a Grand Prix weekend that provides an outstanding stage for the final chapter of the 2026 season,” Saif Rashid Al Noaimi, Chief Executive Officer of Ethara added.
“To have FIA Baja titles decided in Dubai, world rally raid champions crowned at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and Formula 1 close its season at Yas Marina Circuit within the space of one month is a powerful reflection of the strength and depth of motorsport in the UAE. For EMSO, the legacy is equally important: the partnerships behind these events, the expertise they develop and the opportunities they give Emirati officials, volunteers and young people to work alongside international motorsport at the highest level. That is what allows us to keep building beyond the events themselves,” Khalid Ben Sulayem, President of the Emirates Motorsports Organization further explained.
For Formula 1, the Abu Dhabi finale carries particular weight. With six rounds remaining on the calendar before the paddock reaches Yas Marina Circuit, the championship picture will still be forming when the season reaches its final weekend. The circuit has hosted title-deciding moments on several previous occasions, and the 2026 edition arrives with that same potential.
The month is also expected to generate broader economic activity across tourism, hospitality and transport in both emirates, with television and digital coverage carrying the competition to international audiences throughout November and into December.
