F1 Grand Prix organizers Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management and Flash launch new events powerhouse

Yas Marina Circuit will remain an integral venue for newly-formed Ethara. (Supplied)
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Updated 16 May 2023
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F1 Grand Prix organizers Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management and Flash launch new events powerhouse

  • Ethara was launched in Abu Dhabi and will also have offices in Dubai, Riyadh

ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management and Flash Entertainment have officially integrated their activities and operations to launch a new powerhouse that will oversee events, entertainment, and venue management throughout the Middle East and globally.

The company has been named Ethara, meaning thrill in Arabic, and will manage live events from offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Riyadh.

The new entity will be led by Saif Al-Noaimi, formerly the chief executive officer of ADMM and a Flash board member.

The Ethara CEO, said: “By combining our strengths, we are perfectly positioned to make memorable moments that matter.

“By integrating the activities and operations of two of Abu Dhabi’s pioneering entertainment and event management titans, Ethara will further establish the emirate as an economic engine in the entertainment, event management, and sports industries, locally, regionally, and internationally.

“We have an unrivalled wealth of expertise, experience, knowledge, and skills, which will propel Ethara’s success far beyond what either company could achieve alone – all powered by world-class creativity and innovation,” Al-Noaimi added.

ADMM and Flash have collectively conceptualized, produced, promoted, and delivered more than 700 major events to over 16 million fans in the 15 years since their inception. These events have included the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yasalam After-Race Concerts, Mubadala World Tennis Championships, FIFA Club World Cup, AFC Asian Cup, NBA Abu Dhabi Games, UFC, national celebrations and festivals, as well as many more spanning sport, music, culture, entertainment, corporate, and meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions events.

Al Noaimi said: “Ethara provides an exceptional platform to realise our collective potential and create experiences of the future, today.

“Ethara is a people-first event, and entertainment powerhouse that promotes and delivers best-in-class experiences.”

Ethara will also manage and oversee an extensive portfolio of assets, including Etihad Park, the region’s largest open-air venue; Etihad Arena, the Middle East’s largest indoor multi-purpose, state-of-the-art entertainment venue; Abu Dhabi’s Formula 1 track, Yas Marina Circuit; and the Yas Conference Center, that offers conference, meeting, and events spaces with stunning Yas Island views.


Final preparations ramp up as Dakar Rally 2026 draws closer

Updated 22 December 2025
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Final preparations ramp up as Dakar Rally 2026 draws closer

  • World’s toughest endurance race scheduled for seventh consecutive year in Kingdom

YANBU: Final preparations for Saudi Arabia’s Dakar Rally 2026 have entered their concluding phase, with less than two weeks to go until the world’s toughest endurance race gets underway in the Kingdom for a seventh consecutive year.

Held under the auspices of the Ministry of Sport and organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation in partnership with the Saudi Motorsport Company, the rally runs from Jan. 3-17 and features 14 race days, including a prologue and 13 competitive stages.

A milestone was reached in logistical operations last week when two vessels carrying rally vehicles and equipment from Barcelona arrived at King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu.

Technical scrutineering for all competing vehicles is scheduled for Jan. 1-2, marking the final step before competition begins.

This year’s event will feature 812 competitors representing 69 nationalities and competing across 433 vehicles in a wide range of categories.

The entry list includes 73 ultimate cars, 118 motorbikes, 46 trucks, 38 challengers, 43 side-by-side vehicles, eight stock vehicles, 75 classic cars, 24 classic trucks, and seven Mission 1000 motorbikes, as well as a Mission 1000 truck, highlighting the rally’s scale and diversity.

The action begins on Saturday, Jan. 3, with a 23-km prologue in Yanbu, followed by Stage 1 on Jan. 4, a 305-km loop starting and finishing in the coastal city.

The route then heads to AlUla for Stages 2 and 3 before continuing through a demanding sequence of desert stages across the Kingdom.

Competitors will race from AlUla to a bivouac refuge on Jan. 7, then to Hail the day after and Riyadh on Jan. 9, ahead of a rest day on Jan. 10.

The second half of the rally resumes with stages through Wadi Al-Dawasir, Bisha and Al-Henakiyah, before the event concludes back in Yanbu on Jan. 17.

Saudi Arabia’s continued hosting of the Dakar Rally underscores its growing status as a global hub for motorsport and international sporting events.

The Kingdom is the only country to host a broad spectrum of elite motorsport competitions, including Formula One, Formula E, the FIA World Rally Championship and Extreme H, alongside the Dakar Rally.