Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and Khaled Al-Suwaidi return to competition this weekend at the Qatar International Rally, representing the QMMF Rally Team in two Škoda Fabia R2 evos and hoping to shine on their home round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship.
Their careers have often been overshadowed by Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah’s international success, but both are formidable competitors with achievements on the world stage away from the media spotlight.
Al-Kuwari’s long career
Al-Kuwari has been competing for almost 20 years and was a regional series regular as early as 2003, when he finished fourth in Qatar, seventh in Jordan, ninth in Syria and sixth at Cyprus’s Troodos Rally.
After racing in the region until 2011, he launched a major programme in 2012, taking a first MERC win in Qatar in a Mini Cooper S2000 that propelled him into the FIA World Rally Championship, where he was 10th on the Acropolis and 14th in Spain that year.
The following season brought WRC2 wins in Mexico, Argentina and Australia and second place in the series. He contested WRC2 for three more years before finishing runner-up to Al-Attiyah in the 2019 MERC. The pandemic halted competition in 2020, but the 42-year-old came back to finish second in Qatar last year and returns in a Škoda Fabia R2 evo.
I am very happy, as always, to be in a rally car and to be able to compete. I would like to thank QMMF for this chance again. Of course, one rally per year is not enough at all but it’s a chance to show my speed and talent, even when I’m out of it for a long time.
Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari
There is a very strong entry list with some of the best rally drivers around the world and the best drivers in the Middle East. Testing went very well and the car felt really good and competitive. I’d love to see a lot of spectators at the stages, because it’s a really good chance for them to see some of the best rally drivers around the world competing here in Qatar.
Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari
Al-Suwaidi aims for the podium
Al-Suwaidi’s first top 10 came with Jassim Al-Ali at the 2006 Qatar International Rally, and he progressed quickly. He was fifth in the 2009 MERC after top 10 finishes in Syria, Lebanon and Dubai, and made his first podium in Kuwait the following year.
His only MERC win came with co-driver Nicky Beech in Kuwait in 2012 in a Ford Fiesta RRC. The 35-year-old also contested WRC rounds in 2016, with useful results in Portugal, Poland, Wales and Australia.
Since then his outings have been limited to the annual Qatar event. He rolled out in 2017, was fifth in 2018 and third last season in a Škoda Fabia R5. He partners Portugal’s Hugo Magalhães for the third time in Qatar, again targeting the podium.
Weiss marks 30 years
German veteran Edith Weiss completes the international field and celebrates her 30th anniversary as an entrant in the Qatar International Rally, starting in an RS Team Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X with Italian co-driver Serena Mattivi.
Mattivi makes her regional debut but is a regular in Italy, having recently partnered Alessio Bellan, Mariano Simoni, Armando Betta and Luca Manera.
On Wednesday, crews may carry out a full recce of the gravel stages that await on Friday and Saturday.