The UAE’s new role in preparing Russia for its debut in Formula One Racing will be the starting point for broader cooperation between the two countries on road safety and motoring consumer protection. Phase one of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Moscow on Monday between the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE and its Russian counterpart will see senior Russian officials and volunteers being trained in Abu Dhabi in preparation for the F1 Grand Prix of Russia in 2014.
Following the live, on-the-job training during the 2012 F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November, the ATCUAE will deliver a detailed evaluation of the additional training needs to ensure a safe and smooth entry for Russia into F1 racing.
The landmark MOU was signed by ATCUAE President Dr. Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Lieutenant General Victor Kiryanov, the highly respected and influential President of the Russian Automobile Federation. The signing was witnessed by the UAE Ambassador to the Russian Federation, H.E. Omer Saif Ghobash.
The agreement, which had originally been drafted to focus solely on F1, was extended at the request of General Kiryanov, who is also Russia’s Deputy Interior Minister and Chief of the Department of the State Road Safety Inspectorate (Traffic Police). In 2009, he received the FIA Academy’s annual World Prize for Road Safety, the Environment and Mobility.
As a result, the two national motorsport and motoring authorities will work together to develop new road safety initiatives, and find ways to simplify procedures for motoring tourists in Russia and the UAE when driving across borders.
“General Kiryanov sees a great opportunity for us to work together to tackle our shared concerns on road safety and mobility,” said Sulayem, Vice President of the FIA.
“Russia is one of the fast growing automotive markets in the world, and with the rise in the number of road users comes a growing need to improve road safety and expand and enhance the services available to motorists to make it easier and more convenient to travel beyond their country.”
General Kiryanov said: “We are building the Formula One track at a rapid speed and it will be completed in time. The Russian Federation has to supply specialists, and we are very pleased that our colleagues from the UAE are helping us to gain more knowledge so that we are well prepared for Formula One. It is with great pleasure that we have signed the MOU.”
As the official representative in the Emirates, the ATCUAE has an ongoing commitment to road safety and mobility in line with the FIA’s global aims and initiatives. In addition to being motor sport’s world governing body, the FIA actively promotes and protects the interests of motorists at the United Nations, within the European Union and with other international bodies.
The ATCUAE has been a strong supporter of road safety initiatives in recent years, and is the sole supplier in the Emirates of official International Driving Permits, and Carnet De Passage en Douane – better known as carnets or trip tickets – which simplify customs formalities for those taking vehicles outside the country.
The Club’s first priority as a result of the Moscow agreement is to provide a unique facility for the training of around 40 senior Russian officials and marshals at the 2012 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit from 2-4 November.
The on-the-job training, delivered in conjunction with Abu Dhabi Motor Sport Management, will be conducted by a team of specialists from the Club’s training and education division, the Motorsport Knowledge Institute (MKI).
The Moscow agreement highlights the ATCUAE’s status as one of the world’s leading national motor sport and motoring authorities with acknowledged expertise in associated training, research and education.
