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AMMAN — The Jordan Rally gets under way on Thursday evening at the Hover-Up Park on the shores of the Dead Sea.
Seventeen crews from 10 nations will contest the third round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), alongside 21 additional teams entered in the national rallies taking place across Friday and Saturday. Competitors will tackle 12 special stages covering 196.80 competitive kilometres in a total route of 557.11km through the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea regions, according to a statement from Jordan Motorsport.
Twenty-time regional champion Al Attiyah heads the field alongside Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera in an Autotek Motorsport Škoda Fabia RS. The Qatari currently sits fourth in the championship standings following victory in Oman and a surprise retirement on home soil in Qatar.
Five Rally2 rivals are expected to challenge Al Attiyah on Jordan’s demanding gravel stages, where high temperatures and punishing terrain often test both drivers and machinery.
Among the leading contenders is Saudi Arabia’s Hamza Bakhashab, who has impressed during his first full MERC campaign. The 22-year-old from Jeddah recovered from suspension damage in Oman to score points before claiming a career-best second overall in Qatar behind Al Attiyah.
Driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 with Irish co-driver Lorcan Moore, Bakhashab has accumulated 42 championship points, leaving him just five behind championship leader Nasser Khalifa Al Atya and Lebanese co-driver Ziad Chehab in a Motortune Ford Fiesta.
“Qatar was an important result for us and gave me and the whole team a lot of confidence,” Bakhashab said. “Every rally in MERC is a learning experience for me and Jordan will be another big challenge. The championship is very competitive this season, so the priority is to stay consistent, keep improving and score strong points.”
Oman’s Abdullah Al-Rawahi, winner of the Jordan Rally in 2023, also returns as one of the favourites. Al-Rawahi finished second behind Al-Attiyah in Oman earlier this season but retired in Qatar, leaving him in need of a strong result to revive his title hopes. He will again partner Jordanian co-driver Ata Al-Hmoud in an Oman Rally Team Škoda Fabia RS.
Jordanian driver Sheikh Bader Al-Fayez returns to action after engine problems forced him out of the opening round in Oman and ruled him out of the Qatar event. He will compete alongside Lebanese co-driver Joseph Matar in another Škoda, while Bassel Abu Hamdan and Firas Elias complete the Rally2 field in a Volkswagen Polo.
In the FIA MERC2 category, Jordan’s Shaker Jweihan has dominated the season so far and will be aiming for a third successive class victory with co-driver Mustafa Juma in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. Jweihan recently capitalised on a puncture suffered by Bakhashab to claim victory in a Jordan national rally.
Competition in MERC2 comes from Oman’s Zakariya Al-Aamri in a Subaru and Jordan’s Sami Fleifel in a Mitsubishi.
Lebanese driver Shadi El Fakih is targeting a third maximum points haul in FIA MERC4 aboard his Renault Clio RS. Jordanian female driver Farah Zakaria, partnered by Lebanon’s Dolyne Schlink, is also entered for championship points in the SSV category driving a Can-Am Maverick X3.
The rally, once again based at the Mövenpick Resort and Spa Dead Sea, begins with a new 4.83km Shakedown stage on Thursday.
Friday’s action includes two runs through the Shuna, Baptism and Ma’in stages, separated by a midday service at the Dead Sea.
Saturday’s schedule features repeated passes through the Panorama, Suwayma and Rawda stages before the ceremonial finish at Hover-Up Park from 6.30pm.
