The Dakhla Historic Rally highlights the Moroccan Sahara in Guerguerat
- Guerguerat: the emblematic point of the Historic Rally route
- Dakhla Guerguerat Rally: Moroccan women behind the wheel
Participants in the third edition of the Classic Car Rally, organized by the Moroccan Federation of Classic Cars (FMVA) and the Royal Moroccan Automobile Club (RACM), have experienced on the second day of the event an unparalleled adventure by driving, round trip in the day, from Dakhla to Guerguerat, the border point between the Moroccan Sahara and Mauritania, on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the Green March.
A total of 734 km in the middle of desert and sea, round trip, which represented for the pilots a desired challenge to relive what their parents and grandparents experienced along their journey of the Green March.
Guerguerat: the emblematic point of the Historic Rally route
Answering Atalayar's question about the significance of the presence of all these people at the Guerguerat pass, Mohammed Bachiri, the president of the RACM, said: “on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the Green March the Royal Moroccan Automobile Club and the Moroccan Federation of Classic Cars co-organize this third edition of the Dakhla Guerguerat Historic Rally with 80 classic cars dating back to the era with 140 participants. We are proud and happy to make this circuit to celebrate with Moroccans this very particular holiday, a historic day that reflects the values of Moroccan society and its commitment towards the Alaouite throne and its love for King Mohammed VI.”
“Personally, I am happy for my participation in the Rally and it is the first time I come here and I hope it will not be the last, as it conveys messages of solidarity that characterizes the Moroccan society, and it is a very special day for us to be here,” concluded Bachiri.
The participants, guests of honor and the organizing committee have seen how the infrastructure of the Guerguerat border crossing has been reinforced with the inauguration and implementation of several development projects, namely the opening of a new branch of Al Barid Bank, the Al-Khair mosque and the inauguration of a hotel of more than 1,000 m².
In front of the Guerguerat border crossing, everyone proudly sang the national anthem; renewing what grandparents and fathers have sown on this soil and passing on from generation to generation this message, worthy of care and recognition, which is the love for the homeland.
With the flags of Morocco, the drivers of more than 80 vintage collector cars that had reached the end point of the circuit paraded in front of the border crossing, celebrating the 49th anniversary of the Green March.
Hassan Barazzouq, a businessman who came from Rabat to participate in the event told Atalayar : We have participated in the Rally and in this wonderful march with classic cars to the Guerguerat border crossing celebrating the anniversary of the Green March. We are very happy to have participated in this event and we wish peace for Morocco and the rest of the world.
Dakhla Guerguerat Rally: Moroccan women behind the wheel
The third edition of the historic Dakhla Guerguerat Rally saw the participation of numerous Moroccan women drivers who demonstrated great skill behind the wheel driving classic cars with great professionalism and passion.
Amal Bensouda, participant in the Classic Car Rally Dakhla Guerguerat, expressed her great happiness for having lived this experience; saying that “it is the first time I came to the south of Morocco, the last point was Tantan, today I am very happy to have visited Dakhla and reached Guerguerat especially with wonderful people with a very interesting spirit of nationalism. The organization has been exceptional and of high level, it is a very good experience for me”.
On the participation of Moroccan women in the Rally, Amal Bensouda said that “I have noticed that there are many women present and driving and it is a pleasure to know that today there are quite a few Moroccan women are interested in being drivers and begin to be passionate about this sport; something we did not see before. I am also a rally car driver; and it is a pride to see them here not only as escorts or co-drivers but as real drivers.
Bensouda, the only female participant attending the Green March, added that “it is an occasion for me to come from Rabat here and relive our Moroccan Sahara with all the pride of being Moroccan”.
Soumaya Habib, a Moroccan businesswoman and driver who participated with the 1970 Mercedes car, said that “the experience is magnificent, the people are very nice and we have come to celebrate the anniversary of the Green March with the population of Southern Morocco. I participated in the first edition and I am again happy to see the beauty of my country and drive to Guerguerat. Today we also celebrate the freedom enjoyed by the inhabitants, the nation that unites us all and we are all brothers”.
The winner of the Dakhla Grand Prix, Karima Lahrach, noted in her statement to Atalayar, “We have participated in this great car competition, we all came with great enthusiasm to this event and we have made the first circuit in Dakhla to make the population of the city know the different types of classic cars passing to a regularity test to finally reach Guerguerat. We had a great time and we lived our Moroccanness with the great pride of belonging to this country.”
“Today we see more women behind the wheel, all brave to undertake this adventure and I urge women to participate in these events and not hesitate to live the experience especially those who want this kind of motorsport” added Lahrach.
Nezha Mousahim, sports and emotional coach, expressed her joy at participating in the Rally and told Atalayar: “It is a beautiful and very authentic adventure; it is also spiritual in terms of our Sahara, in terms of our country and our heritage. It is my second participation in the Rally and it is the first time I come all the way to Dakhla. It is very exceptional both in the city of Dakhla and Guerguerat, it is something very big for us.”
“I was co-driver, but it has been a great experience, we have met Moroccan and foreign people. And really we all have our homeland here in our hearts; this emotion of nationalism is huge for us. I used to live in France and I have just returned to my roots; I am very happy and it is fabulous what we have done and what Morocco has done for our Sahara and the Sahara is Moroccan will remain Moroccan forever”, added Nezha.
