The 36-year-old clocked a spectacular time of 1:06:308, holding off debutant Kevin Coleman, who finished runner-up, by just 0.637 seconds.

Germany’s Florian Berger was 2.017 seconds behind the Swede but it was still enough for third place.

After second-place finish in 2014 and a disqualification 12 months later, the Abu Dhabi success was even sweeter for Ryfa.

“I’m super happy to have won here,” he said. “Two years ago I finished second here and last year I made a small mistake and got penalised. So I was very keen to win this race.

“I flew very consistently and kept my cool. I studied the track in advance to find the correct lines and best way to gain speed. Most of the times, it was working quite well for me and the preparations ahead of this race was the biggest key for me here.”

With six competitors in a category designed for up-and-coming pilots to gain as much experience before moving up to the Master Class, Ryfa said there was no room for mistakes.

“I always give my best in each race,” he said.

“Even in previous years, there was always strong competition in the Challenger Class. If you relax for a second, you’re out so the pressure is always there. That means you have to give 100 per cent and really hope for the best.”