The Middle East's best young motor racing drivers are in Qatar ready to compete for the region's top karting honors. But the MENA Karting championship isn't just for fun, it's fueling the region's talent on the track.

Lusail

Qatar is hosting the Middle East and North Africa Karting Championship, featuring more than 170 junior and senior drivers from 18 countries. The competition is seen as a platform for identifying and nurturing future motorsport talent, with participants as young as eight years old.

Organisers and coaches emphasise the importance of karting as a foundation for professional racing careers, noting that many Formula One drivers began in the sport at a young age. The event is part of Qatar's broader efforts to invest in youth development and strengthen its presence in international motorsports.

Qatar hosts biggest karting competition

With the engines fired up and the adrenaline pumping, these young drivers are ready to go racing. Some are as young as 8 and their confidence is high-octane. Hi, my name is Issa bin Mohamed Abdul Rasool Qasim and I am 9 and a half years old and I race in Team Oman. I am Tarek Shoufi, I am 10 years old and I am from Team Bahrain. Hi, I am Hila Gehoudi, I am 10 years old and I am the Moroccan Minimax driver. I won the two last years in Mikro and I am here to win a third time again. More than 170 junior and senior drivers from 18 nations are competing at the Middle East and North Africa Karting Championship in Qatar, an ideal place to find a future world champion. If you look at all the Formula One drivers, they started from ages about 6 in karting. It's a very good place and very good event to spot talent. We're now trying to raise the level of competition in the Middle East and the North Africa region through doing events like this. But while karting is a starting point for youngsters in motorsport, they're still racing at breakneck speeds. Don't be fooled by the size of these karts, because a 125cc kart can go from standing to 100km an hour in just over 3 seconds. That's faster than some sports karts and that's a lot of power for something that weighs less than a washing machine. Skill and split-second decisions will make the difference this week, something Tamim Hassiba says he's ready for. I'm 15 years old and I race for Team Qatar. I've been driving since the age of 11 years old. I mean, yes, it's a very dangerous sport. I mean, you have to drive with your brain most of the time. And as long as you drive yourself and stay safe, it's all good. Tamim's talent was spotted by the Qatar Motorsports Academy, who are developing him as a Formula Four driver, the next step to becoming a professional. With Qatar already hosting an annual Formula One Grand Prix, it's clear which direction the country's motorsports ambitions are heading. We're not hosting these big events just to boast about hosting them. No, we're actually doing the right thing by investing into the younger generations, as I said, in Qatar Motorsports Academy. And maybe in the future, we'll find Qatari drivers racing in higher levels. A dream for every one of the young drivers here, who are starting with a full tank of ambition. Joanna Gaziroska, Al Jazeera, Lesailes.

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