Jordanian women take on the rallying challenge

AMMAN — Jordanian women rally drivers are making a comeback just in time for the Jordan Rally, the third round of the Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), on May 5-7 at the Dead Sea area.

With Jordan joining other neighboring countries such as the UAE and Lebanon in launching the careers of several women drivers who have a passion for rallying, the Kingdom’s own female drivers have already made a name for themselves locally and regionally.

“I have learned everything here in Jordan and if it was not for the encouragement of my parents and friends and my unlimited passion for cars I would not have done it and reached this level,” Nancy Majali, who is teaming up with Husam Salem for Jordan Rally, told The Jordan Times.

“This year, I will be driving in my 15th Jordan Rally to date and this is an achievement for women in Jordan. Auto sports in the Kingdom needs more women drivers and I have seen a comeback by some and that is a good sign,” she added.

Last year, Majali as the co-driver of Salem came third at the Jordan Rally.

“It is never easy, but this means that we are doing fine and on the right track. This year we are more prepared than ever and we are looking for another advanced position,” she said.

According to Majali, people in general are sometimes doubtful of what a woman can do.

“In the past, my friend Nadia Shnoudeh and I faced a lot of challenges from some people who saw us as a lowly all-female team. We were determined to overcome all the challenges we faced and became a good team that made a difference,” she said.

According to Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, the governing body for many auto racing events, Majali ranks 10th out of 12 in the drivers classification of the 2011 FIA Middle East Rally Championship, the only woman in the list.

Majali will face a many opponents in this year’s edition of the Jordan Rally.

The young medical student Lina Hadidi, who is walking along the path of her mother Abeer Batikhi, who reigned the Speed Test events in the past, said: “I am teaming up with my co-driver Barkev Shadian in a Subaru Impreza Prodrive and we believe that we have a good chance for an advanced position.”

Hadidi, who won the Women’s Cup at Al Hussein Rumman Hill Climb, the Jordan Rally Champion and MERC Jordan Rally in 2015 believes that her skills have been developed due to her continuous participation and passion.

“This will be my second participation in a MERC round in Jordan and I am looking forward to achieving, with Shadian, a good position especially that we have been preparing for such a long time for this opportunity. As a woman driver representing the Kingdom I believe we have a good chance to have the first woman on the podium as a driver,” she said.

Meanwhile, Habaybeh is expected to be driving or of being a co-driver for her father Raed Habaybeh to provide a strong family flavour in Group S, just as she did last year.

Jordan Motorsport CEO Othman Naseef encourages more participation from Jordanian female drivers saying: “We always cheer any participation from any enthusiastic female driver and we encourage them to be part in the auto events whether here or outside the Kingdom because we know that there are many who want to try but may lack the proper support.”

With big names registering for the May Jordan Rally headed by the 12-time regional rally champion Qatar’s Nasser Al Attiyah, and only 22 days left the challenge is even bigger for the young women drivers and others who still have until April 19 to be part of the most challenging round of MERC.

The Jordan Rally will see drivers tackling 10 special timed stages covering 115.5 kilometres on May 6, while May 7 presents eight more tricky stages covering 105.54km.