Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of world motor sport governing body the FIA, met the Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, on Monday to explore the future of the sport in the region, including the role of the Rally of Lebanon in the Middle East Rally Championship. The summit at Baabda Palace came after Ben Sulayem attended the 48th Rally of Lebanon on the weekend, which was the fourth round of this year's Middle East championship. Roger Feghali of Lebanon and his co-driver Joseph Matar were the winners of the event, which concluded on Sunday in Kaslik. 

The Lebanese said that "the rally in Lebanon plays a key role" in the plans to ensure the long-term future of the regional championship. 

"The Rally of Lebanon provided me with many great memories during my rally driving career, and I'm thrilled to once again experience the excitement this event creates for competitors and the country's passionate motor sport fans," he said. "The event has a rich history embedded in the origins of Middle East motor sport. It is firmly established as the home for asphalt rallying in the region." Ben Sulayem, an Emirati who took the helm at FIA after winning the Rally of Lebanon four times in his career, was a rally champion. 

The five-time Arab rally champion clinched the Lebanese title four times (1983, 1984, 1992 and 2001), in addition to triumphs in the Middle East Series in 1982, 1984 and 2001. 

In total, the Lebanese event, which was the sixth round of the 2002 championship, had five wins for Ben Sulayem as driver and an additional victory in 2000 with teammate Suhail Al Mulla. The Lebanese was awarded the honorary President's Cup in 1987 by the country's former president Amine Gemayel and the Medal of Honour in 1999 by the late president Emile Lahoud. The FIA said it is working to fortify the future of rallying worldwide. 

In July, it announced what it called the biggest commercial agreement in the history of the World Rally Championship and the European Rally Championship after the WRC Promoter GmbH, the body responsible for the commercial rights to both championships, was acquired by Cosmobilis and Park Square Capital. During his winning rally car career, the FIA chief said he "gained a lot of confidence in my abilities in terms of navigating the roads, and I fell in love with the sport". "Rallying is a huge part of my personal story. 

It has shaped who I am and how I work, and I am deeply committed to its future," he said. 

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Tanu