Twenty-two teams competing in the FIA section of the event can expect blisteringly hot conditions in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas of the Hashemite Kingdom next weekend. The fourth round of the regional series will see crews tackling a dozen special stages and 200.24 competitive kilometres. The event will also count towards the new Junior and Master Championships for Drivers.

Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and Candido Carrera head the field after winning the opening three rounds of the season in Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. They will be aiming to defend a 31-point lead over Rakan Al-Rashed and Hugo Magalhães (Toyota Yaris) in their respective MERC Drivers’ and Co-drivers’ Championships. The record 16-time winner of the event lays trust in his Autotek Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.

Al-Attiyah has won 11 of the last 12 rounds of the MERC in Jordan, with Abdullah Al-Rawahi (2023) the only driver able to stop that remarkable winning streak by the 19-time FIA Middle East champion.

A total of eight Rally2 machines grace the entry list: defending regional champion Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (Citroën C3), the 2023 MERC champion Abdullah Al-Rawahi (Škoda), Qatar’s FIA Master MERC Driver leader Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya (Ford), Bassal Abu Hamdan (Škoda) and the Jordanian duo of Sheikh Bader Al-Fayez and Ihab Al-Shorafa complete the list. Both local drivers have entered Škoda Fabias.

Al-Rawahi was the 2023 regional champion: The Omani said: “Jordan Rally is a really important one for me. This is where I started my journey. It is like my home rally. I think we have a huge chance to maybe fight for the win. Last year, we were leading and I went off the track and we were not able to continue. This year, I am hoping we are ready. We will give our best.”

Oman’s Zakariya Al-Aamri and Abdullah Al-Zubair are currently locked in their own battle for supremacy in the FIA MERC2 category in a pair of Subarus and head a list of seven crews aiming for showroom class honours. Al-Aamri is currently 15 points ahead of his fellow countryman.

Local knowledge may favour the defending regional champion Shaker Jweihan, while Kuwait’s Jassim Al-Muqahwi and Salem Al-Dhafeeri, Lebanon’s Shadi Al-Fakih and Palestine’s Hamada Uda round off the MERC2 field. All five challengers to the front-running Omani duo wheel out Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Xs.

Qatari Rashid Al-Mohannadi has a commanding 45-point lead in the two-wheel drive FIA MERC4 category. He faces competition from young Qatar Academy drivers, Mohammed Al-Marri and Saad Al-Harqan, and Indian driver Payyakkal Panikkaveettil (Ford Fiesta). All three Qataris drive French-built Peugeot 208s.

The local duo of Shadi Shaban and Mohammed Al-Shorafa and Lebanon’s Joanna Hasoun round off the entry in a trio of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IXs. All but two of the 22 entrants are registered for the MERC.

After the ceremonial start and pre-event press conference on Thursday afternoon (May 29th), Friday’s action features two passes through the Tal Hilali (32.00km), Karameh (10.50km) and Baptism (11.76km) stages.

Saturday’s competition consists of two runs through the Panorama (17.12km), Suwayma (11.19km) and Wadi Nar (16.00km) specials in the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea areas before the ceremonial finish at the lowest place on earth later in the afternoon.

The second pass through the Wadi Nar stage will also act as the event’s Power Stage with additional points available for the fastest drivers.

2025 Jordan Rally – entry list:

1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Candido Carrera (ESP)                                         Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2

2. Rakan Al-Rashed (KSA)/Hugo Magalhães (POR)                                                    Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2

3. Abdullah Al-Rawahi (OMA)/Ata Al-Hmoud (JOR)                                                  Škoda Fabia R5 Rally 2

4. Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Ziad Chehab (LBN)                                             Ford Fiesta Mk II Rally 2

5. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)/Lorcan Moore (IRL)                                                     Citroën C3 Rally 2

6. Sheikh Bader Al-Fayez (JOR)/Vili Oslaj (SLO)                                                          Škoda Fabia Rally 2

7. Ihab Al-Shurafa (JOR)/Ahmad Jankhout (JOR)                                                       Škoda Fabia Evo Rally 2

8. Bassel Abu Hamdan (KSA)/Firas Elias (LBN)                                                            Škoda Fabia R5 Rally 2

9. Abdullah Al-Zubair (OMA)/Taha Al-Zadjali (OMA)                                                Subaru Impreza N14

10. Shaker Jweihan (JOR)/Aisvydas Paliukenas (LTU)                                               Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

11. Jassim Al-Muqahwi (KUW)/Suleiman Al-Helal (KUW)                                        Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

12. Shadi El Fakih (LBN)/Joseph Kmeid (LBN)                                                             Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

13. Zakariya Al-Aamri (OMA)/Mohammed Al-Mazroui (OMA)                               Subaru Impreza N14

14. Salem Al-Dhafeeri (KUW)/Waleed Al-Dhafeeri (KUW)                                      Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X*       

15. Hamada Uda (PAL)/Mustafa Juma (JOR)                                                               Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X         

16. Rashid Al-Muhannadi (QAT)/Gary McElhinney (IRL)                                          Peugeot 208 Rally 4

17. Payyaakkal ‘Saneem’ Panikkaveettil (IND)/Musa Sherif (IND)                         Ford Fiesta Rally 4

18. Mohammed Al-Marri (QAT)/Giovanni Bernacchini (ITA)                                   Peugeot 208 Rally 4

19. Saad Al-Harqan (QAT)/Pierre Delorme (FRA)                                                       Peugeot 208 Rally 4

20. Shadi Shaban (JOR)/Samer Issa (JOR)                                                                    Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX (NAT)

21. Mohammed Al-Shorafa (JOR)/Yazan Juma (JOR)                                                Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX (NAT)*

21. Joanna Hassoun (LBN)/Sami Fleifel (JOR)                                                             Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX (NAT)

*denotes not registered for the MERC

2025 FIA Middle East Rally Championship – positions after round 3:

1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)                                                                  105pts

2. Rakan Al-Rashed (KSA)                                                                              74pts

3. Abdullah Al-Rawahi (OMN)                                                                                         66pts

4. Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya (QAT)                                                                    53pts

5. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)                                                                        48pts

6. Rashid Al-Muhannadi (QAT)                                                                     41pts

7. Shadi Shaban (JOR)                                                                                     31pts

8. Abdullah Al-Zubair (OMN)                                                                         29pts

9. Hamza Bakhashab (KSA)                                                                            18pts

9. Denis Krotov (KGZ)                                                                                     18pts

9. Zakariya Al-Aamri (OMN)                                                                          18pts, etc

Timetable of events

Wednesday, May 28

Administration checks, Rally HQ                                                            15.00-18.00hrs

Thursday, May 29

Scrutineering, Service Park, Dead Sea                                                 09.00-12.00hrs

Pre-rally press conference, Service Park, Dead Sea                       17.15hrs

Ceremonial start, Service Park, Dead Sea                                           17.30hrs

Friday, May 30

Start of leg 1 (six stages)                                                                           09.00hrs

Finish of leg 1                                                                                                17.07hrs

Saturday, May 31

Start of leg 2 (six stages)                                                                           09.00hrs

Finish of leg 2, Service Park, Dead Sea                                                16.55hrs

Post-rally press conference, Service Park, Dead Sea                     17.30hrs

Podium ceremony, Service Park, Dead Sea                                       18.00hrs