Al Attiyah, Al Kuwari In Spotlight As Oman International Rally Gets Underway Today

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula

Sohar, Oman: The Oman International Rally kickstarts another season of Middle East rallying when it gets underway from the Sohar Entertainment Centre (SEC) today.

Organised by the Oman Automobile Association (OAA), the opening round of the 2025 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) has attracted a field of 16 teams and competitors from nine countries, in addition to six crews competing in the Oman National Championship.

The event is being run under the chairmanship of Brigadier Jamal Said Al Tai, organising panel member Suleiman Al Rawahi and Rally Director Anwar Al Zadjali. Three recent Middle East champions head a star-studded regional field, who will tackle 13 special stages and 232.39 competitive kilometres over the coming three days.

QMMF cars undergo final checks at Sohar.

The MERC event has moved to the Al Batinah North Governorate and the city of Sohar for the first time, although a national event did stages in the region 12 years ago. All six gravel stages to the west of Sohar are brand new but have not lost the legendary fast and flowing nature of the stunning terrain on offer in the Sultanate.

Top seed Abdulaziz Al Kuwari finished his first ever Dakar Rally in fourth place in the Challenger category last week, but the defending regional champion will need to revert to special stage mode quickly this weekend. He wheels out a QMMF-backed Citroën C3 and has recruited the services of Irish co-driver Lorcan Moore.

Likewise, Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah took part in the recent Dakar Rally and finished fourth with his French navigator Edouard Boulanger. The pair retain their partnership for the Qatari's quest for a record eighth win in Oman in an Autotek Motorsport-run Škoda Fabia RS. Boulanger is making his MERC debut.

Oman's Abdullah Al Rawahi and his Jordanian co-driver Ata-Hmoud are also running an Autotek Škoda, as the local hero and 2023 regional champion attempts to complete a hat-trick of wins on his home rally.

Qatar's Rashid Al Muhannadi tests his new Peugeor 208 near Sohar.

The QMMF has also supported an entry for Rashed Al Muhannadi and he runs a Peugeot 208 Rally 4 with backing from the Qatar Motorsports Academy. Irishman Gary Mcelhinney has competed in countries as diverse as the USA, Spain, Tanzania, Zambia and Barbados and will read the pace notes for the Qatari for the first time.

Rakan Al Rashed is one of the leading rally drivers in the Middle East but has carved his recent reputation away from the MERC. The 35-year-old Saudi teams up with Portugal's Hugo Magalhães in a new Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2, as he tries to upset the regular contenders in the series on his return to regional action. In 2024, the duo tackled rallies in Sweden, Portugal, Finland and Latvia and won the Finnish Jari-Pekka Ralli outright in their Printsport Toyota. A fifth Rally 2 machine will be in the hands of Qatari veteran Nasser Khalifa Al Atya and his Lebanese co-driver Ziad Chebab.

Today, the official pre-event press conference (15.00hrs) precedes the ceremonial start at the Sohar Entertainment Centre (15.30hrs). The start will take place indoors for the first time under the giant dome on site. Competitors will then tackle the opening 2.55km Super Special stage, starting at 16.43hrs.

2025 Oman International Rally Entires: Selected
Abdulaziz Al Kuwari (QAT)/Lorcan Moore (IRL) Citroën C3 Rally 2
Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah (QAT)/Edouard Boulanger (FRA) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2
Abdullah Al Rawahi (OMN)/Ata Al Hmoud (JOR) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2
Rashid Al Muhannadi (QAT)/Gary McElhinney (IRL) Peugeot 208 Rally 4
Rakan Al Rashed (SAU)/Hugo Magalhaes (PRT) Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2
Nasser Khalifa Al Atya (QAT)/Ziad Chehab (LEB) Ford Fiesta Mk II Rally 2

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