Dubai, Nov. 3rd, 2006: A Prime Minister, a Member of the European Parliament,and a double World Rally Champion have brought Mohammed bin Sulayem outof retirement in the countdown to the UAE Desert Challenge.

Sulayem, who has not driven competitively since capturing his 14th MiddleEast rally title four years, has been back behind the wheel on successivedays in the build-up to the event he launched 16 years ago.

This morning he was called into action to help Volkswagen stars AriVatanen and Carlos Sainz test their Race Touareg 2 prototypes before theygo into action in the final round of the FIA Cross Country Rally WorldCup.

Vatanen, one of the world's rallying legends and a current MEP, and Sainz,World Rally Champion in 1990 and 1992, wanted some of Sulayem's localknowledge of UAE desert conditions to help them prepare for the approachingbattle with Mitsubishi and BMW.

Just 24 hours earlier, Sulayem had driven one of the mighty Kamaz factorytrucks in a race up Dubai's famous Big Red dune against Rustam Minnikhanov,the Prime Minister of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, who aims forhis fourth trucks title in five years next week.

Nobody was saying who won, although Sulayem, President of the Automobileand Touring Club for the UAE and chairman of the organising committee,admitted: "It was very close, and I enjoyed it. It must have been funfor anyone watching to see two trucks racing up the dune, and it mademe realise how good the Prime Minister is.

It's really tough to handle a vehicle like that which has such a highcentre of gravity. You've just got to have respect for somebody who hasbeen so successful driving trucks in the Desert Challenge and the DakarRally." Sulayem later accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Minnikhanov, who missed last year's Desert Challenge because of a broken leg, tovisit Tatarstan later in the year. "He and his team have been very goodto this event and they love coming back here, and I'm looking forwardto visiting the country and the Kamaz factory."Among the drivers and riders from around the world assembling in Dubai,where the Desert Challenge is launched by a super special spectator stageon Sunday afternoon, Sainz was quickly on the phone to close friend Sulayemon arrival.

The 2006 UAE Desert Challenge takes place under the patronage of H.H.SheikhMohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of theUAE and Ruler of Dubai, and is sponsored by Nakheel, Dubai?s premier propertydeveloper.

The event, which doubles up as the last round of the FIM Cross CountryRallies World Championship, is also sponsored by Nissan Middle East -the Nissan Patrol is the rally's official car, FedEx, Castrol, HertzUAE, Inmarsat, the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing,ADNOC, and Emarat.

The centre of attraction tomorrow will be China Court, in Dubai's IbnBattuta Mall, where the public can see the impressive collection of rallycars, trucks and bikes go through the official scrutineering checks from9am to 5pm.

Most of the action takes place among the desert plains and huge dunesof the Empty Quarter, with the route centred on the bivouac at MoreebHill, near Liwa.