Dubai, UAE, 26 th October 2026: FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has paid
tribute to the dedicated force of volunteers and officials in the UAE and across the
Middle East for their key role in making the region a thriving hub for international
motorsport.
With October designated as 2026 FIA Volunteers and Officials Month, Ben Sulayem
has taken the opportunity to confirm that the heroes of motorsport in his home region
deserve to be acknowledged for being amongst the best in the world.
And the FIA President has praised the UAE volunteers and officials who have
performed admirably at the FIA Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix,
and in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship and the FIA World Baja Cup.
“Volunteers and officials are the lifeblood of our sport, and without their dedication,
professionalism and passion, there would simply be no racing or rallying,” said FIA
President Ben Sulayem.
“We launched the first Volunteers and Officials Month last year, and I’m delighted that
we have come together across our Federation for a second time to recognise the vital
role volunteers and officials play across our sport.”
Around the world, an army of volunteers and officials, including flag marshals and
scrutineers, race directors and medical and rescue crews, play essential parts to
ensure a huge calendar of FIA events, from Formula One to rallying, hill climbing and
drifting, run safely, fairly and smoothly.
“I’m proud to acknowledge that the volunteers and officials who contribute so much
time and effort to make motorsport happen across the Middle East are among the best
the sport has,” said the FIA President.
“Our Member Clubs in the region work tirelessly to maintain the highest standards behind
the scenes in motorsport. This has been highlighted by the commitment of the Emirates
Motorsports Organization to ensure the hard work, dedication and efficiency that we’ve seen
from marshals and officials at the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Abu Dhabi Desert
Challenge and the Dubai International Baja.”
A landmark FIA study earlier this year revealed the true scale, value and dedication
behind the crucial role of volunteers in the FIA Formula One World Championship.
Conducted by the FIA University, the Federation’s academic body, the first-of-its-kind
research reveals that a minimum of 20,112 trained volunteers are required to staff all
24 rounds of the Formula One World Championship calendar each season.
An average of 838 volunteers operating at each individual race weekend represents a
ratio of 42 for every F1 driver competing on track, the highest volunteer-to-competitor
ratio of any global sport.
With each volunteer committing approximately 48 hours of dedicated service to each
race weekend, that amounts to a remarkable 965,376 hours contributed to the world’s
premier racing series across the full season.
The report highlights the depth of their commitment, with 65% of volunteers taking
annual leave or unpaid time off to serve at events.
