Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been elected President of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) following the FIA Annual General Assembly gathered in Paris. Similarly, for the first time, Govinda Bhattarai from NASA Nepal, has been included in the working committee (also called presidential and world council) from Region II.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, 60, from the United Arab Emirates, President of the Emirates Motorsports Organisation (EMSO) since 2005, was FIA World Motor Sport Council Vice President for the Middle East. Former Rally driver, he was 14-time FIA Middle East Rally Champion, winning 61 international events from 1983 to 2002. He campaigned under the banner “FIA for Members”, committing to double motorsport participation worldwide, strengthen diversity and inclusion and be a leading opinion-former on sustainable mobility.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, new FIA President, said: “I am very honoured to have been elected FIA President at the conclusion of the Annual General Assembly in Paris today. I thank all the Member Clubs for their esteem and trust. I congratulate Graham for his campaign and his engagement to the Federation. I wish to express my infinite gratitude in the name of the FIA and that of its Members to Jean Todt for all that has been achieved over the past 12 years. I am committed to pursuing the important work and making motorsport and mobility take further steps forward.”

Similarly, Jean Todt, former FIA President, said: “A chapter has come to an end. We can be collectively satisfied with our achievements in motorsport and safe and sustainable mobility over the past 12 years. I would like to warmly thank my team, our administration and all our Member Clubs for their unwavering commitment, enthusiasm and resilience. I congratulate Mohammed on his election as FIA President and wish him, his team, and the Federation the best of success for the years to come.”

The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) is the governing body for world motorsport and the federation of the world’s leading mobility organisations. Founded in 1904, with headquarters in Paris and Geneva, the FIA is a non-profit organisation. It brings together 245 Member Organisations from 146 countries on five continents. Its Member Clubs represent over 80 million road users and their families.