H.E. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Emirates Motorsport Organization EMSO -former Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE- and FIA Vice President Sport, led the Emirati delegation attending the XXI FIA American Congress, which took place in Ecuador this week.
One hundred fifty representatives from 25 National Sporting and Touring Authorities (ASNs/ACNs) in Latin America and North America assembled to discuss new perspectives of action in motorsport and mobility for more sustainable practices and had the opportunity to share experiences from different corners of the continent.
Ben Sulayem also presides the Motorsport Knowledge Institute MKI, the scientific arm of the Organization, founded in 2011 to provide international standards motorsport training globally. The project started with the mission of supporting the development of the sport even beyond the geographical limits of the Middle East and has the Grass-Root development and Organization improvement for main objectives. Thanks to this initiative, EMSO and the MKI have cooperated over the past eight years with several Latin-American countries delivering them FIA standard training for their Officials and supporting them in the process of implementation of these practices.
The American Congress which was hosted by Ecuador’s Automobile Club ANETA in the capital city of Quito was the perfect scenario for the delegates to present their experiences and address some of the challenges and success stories different regions have in common. In this context, EMSO’s team presented case studies and recommendations to the Congress and contributed to the rich discussion on the development of mobility and the implementation of solutions for achieving more efficient results; the UAE’s delegation was the only non-Latin American Organization to make a presentation during the four day’s Conference. “It is always a pleasure to visit Latin America, and I always look forward to meeting the FIA family from the Americas. We may be geographically far, but we share many of the same challenges and rejoice of similar opportunities, so we need to continue to work together as we have done for many years now. The Emirates Motorsport Organization and I personally have wonderful friends in the Region, who we deeply cherish, and with whom we share key values. Those are the elements that define a family, always ready to support each other when needed” expressed Ben Sulayem.
The Conference combined both motorsport and mobility and besides analyzing the regional situation, it provided the outline for the clubs to strengthen the ties bonding them and join forces to work for a more sustainable and safer future.