From left, Saif Rashid Al Noaimi, CEO, Ethara, and Omar Al Suwaidi, Director, The Executive Office, ADNOC.ADNOC has extended its multi-year partnership with Ethara to sponsor the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The brand has also revealed a distinctly UAE-centric campaign titled ‘The Race Within’, which goes far beyond a corporate slogan to a lived ethos that highlights the UAE’s spirit of performance, ambition and national pride.
As part of the campaign, ADNOC participated in the adrenaline-packed Formula 1 championship race weekend in Abu Dhabi with activations, educational programmes and community outreach designed to inspire and unite motorsports fans. The partnership with Ethara and the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix aimed to empower communities, promote wellbeing and support some of the country’s biggest sporting events.
On the sidelines of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Campaign Middle East spoke to Saif Al Falahi, Acting Director – People, National Identity and Business Support, ADNOC, about themes that unfolded across the weekend through Pace Lab experiences that probed reaction and focus; a refreshed Oasis by ADNOC, On-The-Gourmet brand; and the ADNOC Yas in Schools programme that opened avenues into STEM for thousands of UAE students yearly.
The campaign showcased a set of behaviours and aspirations that ADNOC wants fans, students and communities to feel in real-time over the race weekend and beyond.
The Race Within: ADNOC at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The Race Within turned into a way to express what drives the UAE and ADNOC forward.
Al Falahi said, “When we talk about national pride, a performance mindset, and inspiring the next generation, those aren’t corporate themes – they’re part of our culture. Extending our partnership with Ethara gives us a way to show that spirit in a tangible way during one of the most watched sporting events in the world.”
He added, “We saw it come to life across the entire race weekend. Thousands of fans visited us during the race weekend, expiring our Pace Lab to test their reactions, precision and focus, while enjoying a cup of locally-brewed coffee at our refreshed Oasis by ADNOC brand that’s transforming our retail footprint. Through ADNOC Yas in Schools, we’re giving thousands of UAE students every year a pathway into STEM by enabling them build, race and imagine like the world’s best mechanical engineers.”
The conversation with the ADNOC leaders also delved into how sustainability and community wellbeing were embedded into the partnership, integrating sustainability storytelling into the race weekend.
“When we talk about community wellbeing in the context of the Grand Prix, it’s about creating experiences that inspire, educate and bring people together around the values that shape the UAE’s future. That’s why a major part of our community storytelling happens through programmes such as ADNOC Yas in Schools, which has already reached more than 95,000 students and 1,500 schools with hands-on STEM learning,” Al Falahi added.
The brand’s partnership with Ethara has also accelerated interest among local UAE talent to get involved in motorsports – far beyond the fame and the hype of sitting inside a Formula 1 car.
Al Falahi explained, “Motorsports today isn’t just about driving – it’s engineering, data, design, teamwork, aerodynamics, and problem-solving. One of the most powerful parts of our partnership with Ethara is its ability to open doors for young people in the UAE. Through the ADNOC Yas in Schools program, we invited the winning team to the Grand Prix to see how the sport operates at the highest level, offering them a money-can’t-buy experience.”
After the race weekend, which witnessed Max Verstappen take the top spot on the podium in Abu Dhabi and Lando Norris claim his first Formula 1 driver’s championship, ADNOC’s plan is to tether fans to a continuing narrative that embodies the UAE’s energy and regional character.
Al Falahi said, “Our focus after race weekend is to keep fans connected to the energy of The Race Within through stories that genuinely reflect the UAE and the region.”
ADNOC’s attention is now turning to the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon, which returns with a refreshed route for its seventh edition, which is set to welcome some 40,000 runners, an increase of more than 20 per cent compared with last year’s edition.
All in all, The collaboration with Ethara turns that compass into a lived experience, where a weekend of racing becomes a laboratory of culture, learning, and opportunity. The engagement strategy isn’t merely about energising a race weekend; it’s about cultivating a culture in which pride, precision and possibility are in constant play.
The Race Within offers a blueprint: a blend of brand experience, storytelling, and hands-on learning that extends well beyond the circuit, making the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix a launchpad for the next generation of engineers, designers and leaders.
If the weekend is the spark, the ongoing storytelling and school outreach are the fuel. And as ADNOC looks to events such as the Abu Dhabi Marathon, the momentum builds into a living narrative — one that hums with regional relevance coupled with the universal appeal of human endeavour and tangible achievement.
