The future of global motorsport "is in the hands'' of UAE Automobile and Touring Club President Mohammed ben Sulayem after he was appointed by FIA to "oversee a task force charged with plotting a 10-year plan for the sport's worldwide development," according to Gary Meenaghan of THE NATIONAL. The road map he is being trusted to create "will be the first of its kind in the 109-year history of the Paris-based organisation and is targeting strategic, sustainable growth." Ben Sulayem said, "I took the job to chair the task force because it is a big challenge, not only for me, but also the FIA. It will provide the road book for the FIA to grow and develop. To develop an effective plan, it's vital to have full consultation with all the main stakeholders and allow them to have a say in the way motorsport is developed over the next 10 years." Earlier this year, Ben Sulayem "presented a comprehensive plan to develop motorsport in the Middle East and North Africa at the regional congress in Qatar," which was attended by FIA President Jean Todt. Todt "met again with Ben Sulayem at the recent FIA Sports Conference in England, where the task force was again broached" (THE NATIONAL, 7/30).
