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FIA President says it was a true honour to share time with the President and the First Lady of the Republic of Paraguay
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem gave the President of the Republic of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, a tour of his luxury car collection in Dubai.
President Peña attended the World Governments Summit in Dubai this week. He and the First Lady, Leticia Ocampos, accepted an invitation from Ben Sulayem to spend time sharing their interest in cars.
Ben Sulayem, a 14-time FIA Middle East Rally Champion, drove President Peña in two cars from his collection: an Aston Martin Valkyrie and a Bugatti Chiron Super Sport.
“It was a true honour to share this time with the President and the First Lady of Paraguay, and a privilege to welcome them to my country,” said Ben Sulayem.
“It was a wonderful time, reflective of the strong and friendship that unites us. Under President Pena’s leadership, the future of Paraguayan motor sport and mobility is bright.”
Ben Sulayem formed a connection with President Peña after meeting him to discuss global motorsport and mobility issues during the annual FIA American Congress in Asunción in August last year.
President Peña opened the three-day event, which brought together mobility and motorsport leaders from across the Americas. The congress reviewed initiatives in road safety, sustainable mobility, regional sporting growth and innovation in transport.
The Congress took place as Paraguay made its debut on the FIA World Rally Championship calendar. The WRC Rally del Paraguay ran in the Itapúa region.
Ben Sulayem attended the rally’s ceremonial opening with President Peña. He said Paraguay’s entry into the championship, along with the 2025 season’s new final round in Saudi Arabia, indicated a new era for rallying at the highest level.
Paraguay’s first appearance on the WRC calendar marked a moment for Paraguayan motorsport, building on the country’s rally heritage.
The FIA American Congress provided an opportunity to strengthen collaboration across the Americas, share expertise in mobility and motorsport, and advance priorities in safety, sustainability and innovation.
