News

Al Sila, 21 December 2025: The Organising Committee of the third edition of the Al Yasat Festival crowned the winners of the Al Qaffai Race for 22-foot Sailing Dhows, which was held as part of the festival’s events organised by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and the Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club, in strategic partnership with the Emirates Balanced Development Council. The race took place along the Al Sila waterfront.

The winners were honoured by Zayed Sari Al Mazrouei, Acting Director of the Heritage and Marine Festivals Department at the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority; Khalifa Al Rumaithi, Director of Heritage Sports Events at the Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club; and Saeed Humaid Al Mehairi, Head of the Maintenance and Technical Support Section at the Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club.

The race covered a distance of seven nautical miles and featured the participation of 61 dhows from across the UAE, crewed by 305 sailors. The results saw the dhow “Zilzal” (No. 125), owned and skippered by Abdullah Marwan Abdullah Al Marzouqi, claim first place and the race title. Second place went to “Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Academy” (No. 1), led by skipper Ahmed Ismail Ahmed Al Marzouqi, while third place was secured by “Maleeh” (No. 52), owned and skippered by Saoud Jassim Abdullah Jassim.

The Organising Committee allocated valuable cash prizes for the winners, top finishers, and participants, with a total prize pool of AED 600,000. The first-place winner received AED 30,000, the second AED 27,000, and the third AED 25,000.

The organisation of the Al Qaffai Race forms part of the objectives of the third edition of the Al Yasat Festival, which aims to revive elements of the UAE’s maritime heritage, strengthen the presence of traditional marine races in the collective memory, support traditional marine sports, and encourage the participation of skippers and sailors from different generations. The race also represents an important milestone for young sailors and a first step in their journey within traditional sailing dhow competitions.