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AMMAN — Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah stormed to a commanding win at the 2025 Jordan Rally on Saturday, securing his 17th career victory at the event and a record-breaking 90th FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) win.
Driving a Škoda Fabia RS with Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera, Al Attiyah dominated the gravel stages, winning 11 of the 12 to stretch his lead in the regional series. The pair now boasts a perfect record this season, with consecutive wins in Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.
“I am so happy to win again here in Jordan for the 17th time,” Al Attiyah said in a statement from Jordan Rally. “This year, we’ve won every rally so far. It feels like a good year. We controlled the pace and created a gap in case of any issues. For this rally, I would give it 10 out of 10.”
Oman’s Abdullah Al Rawahi, partnered by Jordan’s Ata Al Hmoud, put up a strong fight on day one but suffered time losses due to punctures on stages nine and ten. Despite the setbacks, the defending MERC champion finished second overall.
“It was a long two days,” Al Rawahi said. “We were close to Nasser on the first day, but punctures today cost us time. Still, we’re happy. Competing against someone like Nasser pushes us to improve.”
Qatar’s Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, co-driven by Ireland’s Lorcan Moore in a Citroën C3, completed the overall podium but was unable to match the pace of the leading duo.
Saudi Arabia’s Rakan Al Rashed was on course for a solid finish in his Toyota GR Yaris before an accident on the penultimate stage forced him out. Lebanese driver Bassel Abu Hamdan and co-driver Firas Elias capitalized on his retirement to finish fourth in their Škoda Fabia.
Al Zubair shines in MERC2
Oman’s Abdullah Al Zubair led the MERC2 category from start to finish with co-driver Taha Al Tadjali, taking fifth overall and significantly closing the points gap in the category standings. Fellow Omani driver Zakariya Al Aamri, who entered the rally with a 15-point lead, finished second in class and eighth overall.
“We are happy with this result,” Al Zubair said. “It was a tough race and very hot. It was our first time here, so we pushed hard on the first day and then played it safe. The strategy paid off.”
Qatar’s Nasser Khalifa Al Atya continued his consistent run, finishing sixth overall with Lebanese co-driver Ziad Chehab in a Ford Fiesta. That result secured him the inaugural FIA MERC Masters title with two rounds to spare.
The Jordanian pairing of Sheikh Bader Al Fayez and Shadi Shaban placed seventh and ninth respectively, while Rashid Al Muhannadi of Qatar clinched the FIA MERC4 title with two rounds remaining after a 10th-place overall finish in his Peugeot 208.
Al Rawahi also took victory in Round 2 of the Jordan National Rally Championship, with Shaker Jweihan and Sheikh Bader Al Fayez completing the national podium.
The rally resumed Sunday morning with a 17.12km run through the iconic Panorama stage. Al Attiyah opened the day by setting a blistering time of 11min 38.0sec – six seconds faster than the previous record – while Al Rawahi dropped more than 30 seconds due to tyre damage. That allowed Al Attiyah to extend his overall lead to 45.8 seconds.
He maintained his pace through Suwayma and Wadi Nar, heading into the midday service with a 53.1-second cushion. Stage 10, a re-run of Panorama, saw Al Rawahi lose further time with more misfortune, slipping nearly two minutes behind.
Despite soaring temperatures peaking at 37°C, Al Attiyah remained unfazed, wrapping up the final stages with fastest times, including the Power Stage, and extended his winning margin to 2min 54.8sec over Al Rawahi.
This year’s Jordan Rally was supported by Zain Jordan, Guarantee Travel Group, Hala and Bliss FM, Markazia, and Toyota Gazoo Racing Jordan.
The 2025 FIA Middle East Rally Championship continues with Round 5 in Lebanon from September 5–7.