SOHAR (OMAN): The three-day Oman International Rally gets underway from the Sohar Entertainment Centre at 15.15hrs on Thursday.
Competitors from 10 nations will tackle 13 timed gravel special stages and 215.44 kilometres timed against the clock on this opening round of the 2026 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) organised by the Oman Automobile Association (OAA).
Fresh from a sixth Dakar Rally success last weekend, Al-Attiyah will be aiming to begin his challenge for a record-breaking 21st regional title with a ninth win in Oman. He teams up with Candido Carrera in a Škoda Fabia RS that he was able to shakedown on a nearby gravel stage on Tuesday afternoon.
The Qatari admitted that it had taken a couple of days of sensible diet and rest to recover physically and mentally from his recent Dakar exploits. He said: “This is part of the life. We need to keep running in the Middle East to improve the championship. If I stop, it will not be nice. We need to bring in a new generation of drivers. We finished Dakar. It was a great result for us.
“I was testing on Tuesday and then we have the official shakedown. Everything is good. The stages are nice, similar to last year with a few parts changed. I am quite happy to be back here in Oman. This is one of the best rallies, the terrain, the gravel.”
Al-Attiyah confirmed that he will drive a two-wheel drive Optimus MD Buggy at the forthcoming Bajas in Saudi Arabia and Jordan. He also admitted that his Dakar goal remains to beat Stéphane Peterhansel’s eight victories in a car but he also retains targets in the MERC. “My goal is to stay racing until my son starts with me (he’s 15). Next year, maybe. We can give him the perfect experience. Maybe also 100 Middle East wins!”
Oman’s Abdullah Al-Rawahi will be hoping to prevent the Qatari securing a 92nd MERC victory this weekend. The two-time winner and former regional champion is back to full fitness after an accident in Lebanon last summer and teams up with Jordan’s Ata Al-Hmoud in a second Škoda Fabia RS.
“The stages are beautiful, fast, flowing, smooth, perfect,” said co-driver Al-Hmoud.
Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya has more experience of the regional series than any other driver still competing and the Qatari veteran will be aiming to defend his FIA Master MERC Driver title with Lebanese co-driver Ziad Chehab in a Motortune Racing-run Ford Fiesta.
The Jordanian duo of Sheikh Bader Al-Fayez and Ihab Al-Shorafa wheel out a pair of Rally 2 Škodas and there is youthful competition from Hamza Bakhashab and his Irish co-driver Lorcan Moore in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. Al-Fayez teams up with Lebanese co-driver Joseph Matar, an 11-time winner of the Rally of Lebanon.
Zakariya Al-Aamri finished as runner-up to fellow Omani Abdullah Al-Zubair in last year’s FIA MERC2 Championship. He returns to try and go one better this season in a Subaru Impreza WRX STi, although Kuwait’s Jassim Al-Muqahwi and the Jordanian duo of Shaker Jweihan and Sami Fleifel will have other ideas in a trio of Mitsubishi Lancers.
The QMMF has entered a pair of Peugeot 208 Rally4s for the second season for last year’s champion Rashid Al-Muhannadi and the talented youngster Mohammed Al-Marri.
In the absence of Indian racer Payyaakkal Panikkaveettil, the Qataris will duel for supremacy with Al-Marri trying to add an FIA MERC3 crown to the FIA Junior MERC title he secured in 2025. The duo will be partnered by their respective co-drivers Szymon Gospdarczyk and Pierre Delorme.
Shadi El Fakih is the sole entrant in Rally5 with a Renault Clio and Mohammed Al-Shorafa is also chasing MERC points in his Mitsubishi Lancer.
A 17-strong Oman National Rally further bolsters the field and will run behind the main FIA event. Salim Al-Touqi tops the entry in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII.
The event has invaluable support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, the Al-Batinah North Governorate and Toyota Oman.
Tomorrow (Thursday), competitors will be permitted to carry out a 5.5km shakedown test from 09.00hrs on a nearby stage.
Several competitors will then attend the pre-event press conference at the Sohar Entertainment Centre from 14.15hrs, before the official ceremonial start (15.15hrs) and the opening 2.52km Sohar super special stage. This fires into life at 16.13hrs.
2026 Oman International Rally – entry list (updated):
1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Candido Carrera (ESP) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2
2. Abdullah Al-Rawahi (OMN)/Ata Al-Hmoud (JOR) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2
3. Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya (QAT)/Ziad Chehab (LEB) Ford Fiesta Mk II Rally 2
4. Hamza Bakhashab (KSA)/Lorcan Moore (IRL) Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2
5. Rashid Al-Muhannadi (QAT)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Peugeot 208 Rally 4
6. Zakariya Al-Aamri (OMN)/Mohammed Al-Mazroui (OMN)
Subaru Impreza WRX STi
7. Bader Al-Fayez (JOR)/Joseph Matar (LEB) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2
8. Ihab Al-Shurafa (JOR)/Ahmad Jankout (JOR)
Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2
9. Mohammed Al-Marri (QAT)/Pierre Delorme (FRA) Peugeot 208 Rally 4
10. Shadi El Fakih (LEB)/Joseph Kmeid (LEB) Renault Clio Rally 5
11. Jassim Al-Muqahwi (KWT)/Sulaiman Al-Helal (KWT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
14. Shaker Jweihan (JOR)/Mustafa Juma (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
15. Sami Fleifel (JOR)/Ibrahim Ali (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo
16. Mohammed Al-Shorafa (JOR)/Yazan Juma (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
2026 Oman National Rally – entry list (updated):
101. Salim Al-Tauqi (OMN)/Issa Al-Wardi (OMN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII
102. Haitham Soomar (OMN)/Taha Al-Zadjali (OMN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII
103. Hamood Al-Tauqi (OMN)/Hazza Al-Touqi (OMN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII
104. Zakariya Al-Ofi (OMN)/Nawaf Al-Balushi (OMN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
105. Ghaith Al-Qassmi (OMN)/Bassam Al-Qassmi (OMN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII
106. Faisal Al-Rashdi (OMN)/TBA Subaru Impreza
107. Saif Al-Harthy (OMN)/Saif Al-Hinai (OMN) Can-Am Maverick
108. Hafidh Al-Naamani (OMN)/Mohamed Al-Sawafi Can-Am Maverick
109. Fahad Al-Balushi (OMN)/Jaber Al-Siyabi (OMN) Can-Am Maverick
110. Fahad Al-Sulamaini (OMN)/TBA Can-Am Maverick
111. Emad Al-Balushi (OMN)/Harib Al-Maymani (OMN) Can-Am Maverick
112. Mohammed Al-Harthy (OMN)/Ahmed Al-Mamari (OMN) Can-Am Maverick
114. Ahmed Al-Mamari (OMN)/TBA Can-Am Maverick
115. Mus’ab Al-Zadjali (OMN)/Sultan Al-Battashi (OMN) Kia Rio
116. Bashar Al-Qassmi (OMN)/Nasr Al-Qassmi (OMN) Toyota Yaris
117. Abdullah Al-Touqi (OMN)/TBA Toyota Yaris
118. Wassif Al-Kharusi (OMN)/Warith Al-Kharusi (OMN) Toyota Yaris
Follow the rally live:
Results: https://merc.cronobandeira.com
