Rally-raid rider from Dubai and the 2025 UAE and Qatar national champion, racing for a Dakar finish in January 2027.
Dakar Rally: 1 to 15 January 2027, Saudi Arabia
Alex comes from the north of Scotland, a part of the world that almost never produces a professional rally-raid rider. The odds of getting from there to the Dakar are tiny: very few Scottish athletes have ever taken part in the race, let alone finished it.
He has lived in Dubai since 2006, when he was a young child. Growing up with the desert on his doorstep and the UAE’s sporting system behind him shaped him into the athlete he is, and in January 2027 he aims to become the first Scottish rider to finish the Dakar in Saudi Arabia.
Alex McInnes
Rally-raid motorbike rider, race number 21
من الإمارات إلى داكارFrom the Emirates to Dakar
Raised in the UAE and racing out of Dubai, Alex has finished on the podium every season from 2022 to 2025.
The UAE is where Alex learned to race, came through the national championship and won the title in 2025. He carries that pride to every start line.
Based in Dubai and available for appearances across the Emirates. UAE partners such as MotoZone, his race team, and Dawlati already back him. Professional and respectful on and off the bike, he races where UAE companies do business: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the wider GCC.
The UAE gave Alex his start, and he wants to give back: with his partners, opening the sport to young riders here through rider days, school visits and talks on coming back from injury, and carrying the UAE’s story to the Dakar start line.
Rally-raid riders navigate with a roadbook: a scroll of numbered boxes, each with a tulip diagram showing the way ahead. Alex’s career reads the same way, one box per season, from his first rally raid to the Dakar start line.
Raced Still ahead
Alex is a UAE-grown talent with a record across the GCC and on international stages. As the 2025 UAE and Qatar national champion, he connects Middle Eastern roots with world-level competition.
In late 2025 Alex came through a career-threatening L2 and L5 vertebral injury. His comeback is a story of grit and determination that gives brands an authentic connection to perseverance.
Win the FIM Bajas World Cup title, then make history as the first Scottish rider to finish the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia.
5,646,621 social media impressions
For 2026 the team is investing heavily in high-production film and content for Meta platforms, so partners get more than a logo on a bike.
Beyond social media, Alex’s racing reaches audiences across the Gulf through broadcasters, newspapers and event coverage.
Nine partners back Alex’s racing today, from his race team to the chain that drives his bike.
Official race team and service partner
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UAE professional networking and career development platform
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Official energy sponsor
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Professional power tools
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Motocross riding gear
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Goggles
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Braking systems
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Fuel tank and accessories
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Premium drive chain
(opens in a new tab)Pick a partnership level and add your logo to see where it would ride with Alex.
The 2026 programme mixes regional championships with world-level rounds, and builds toward the Dakar.
Qatar Off-Road Championship
6 rounds
Defending the national title and holding his place at the front of the region.
Saudi Rally Championship
4 rounds
A bucket-list series that grows his presence across the GCC.
FIM Bajas World Cup
6 rounds
Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Dubai, Spain, Qatar and Portugal.
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
A key regional event with high visibility for partners.
1 to 15 January 2027, Saudi Arabia
The pinnacle of off-road motorsport. Alex’s goal is to become the first Scottish rider to finish it in Saudi Arabia, and partners who join now ride with him to the start line.
Partner for Dakar 2027
For partnerships, media and appearances, contact Alex’s team directly.
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