AMMAN, JORDAN – Twenty crews will take on the opening two rounds of the 2025 Jordan National Championship, held alongside days one and two of this weekend’s Jordan Rally, round four of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC).
Nine crews can score points in both the FIA event and the two national rallies, while a further 12 teams run at the back of the field chasing only local championship points. Each national rally, on Friday and Saturday, covers six gravel stages in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas.
Al-Rawahi top seed
Oman’s Abdullah Al-Rawahi, a former winner of the FIA event, is top seed for the national honours and faces Rally2 opposition from Sheikh Bader Al-Fayez and Ihab Al-Shorafa – all three in Škoda Fabias.
Defending MERC champion Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari won the Jordan National Championship last season with co-driver Marshall Clarke, but the Qatari is concentrating only on the FIA event this year in his Citroën C3.
Al-Fayez was national runner-up in 2024, with Shadi Shaban third. Shaban also won the NR4 group, while Salama Al-Ghammaz took Group MT and Hashim Al-Kalbouneh won Group T in his Black Iris.
The rest of the field
Defending MERC2 champion Shaker Jweihan targets a national podium in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, as does Palestine’s Hamada Uda in the same model. A fleet of Evo IXs is entered for Shaban, Mohammed Al-Shorafa, Lebanon’s Joanna Hassoun, Issa Abu Jamous and Fadi Dahshan, while Fayez Al-Ghammaz and Faisal Al-Ghammaz run older Mitsubishis.
Oman’s Zakariya Al-Aamri, current FIA MERC2 leader, is also chasing national points in his Subaru, with Bader Al-Helalat, Amjad Al-Sheikh and Asem Aref in older Imprezas.
Al-Kalbouneh returns in his Black Iris, and last year’s FIA Middle East Baja Cup Stock champion Majed Al-Thunayyan travels from Saudi Arabia with a Nissan Patrol. Jordanians Yahia Sobar (Toyota FJ) and Karim Badawi (Suzuki) complete the national field.
Entry list
- Abdullah Al-Rawahi (OMA) / Ata Al-Hmoud (JOR) – Škoda Fabia R5 Rally2
- Sheikh Bader Al-Fayez (JOR) / Vili Oslaj (SLO) – Škoda Fabia Rally2
- Ihab Al-Shurafa (JOR) / Ahmad Jankhout (JOR) – Škoda Fabia Evo Rally2
- Shaker Jweihan (JOR) / Aisvydas Paliukenas (LTU) – Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
- Zakariya Al-Aamri (OMA) / Mohammed Al-Mazroui (OMA) – Subaru Impreza N14
- Hamada Uda (PAL) / Mustafa Juma (JOR) – Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
- Shadi Shaban (JOR) / Samer Issa (JOR) – Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
- Mohammed Al-Shorafa (JOR) / Yazan Juma (JOR) – Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
- Joanna Hassoun (LBN) / Sami Fleifel (JOR) – Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
- Issa Abu Jamous (JOR) / Saqer Abu Jamous (JOR) – Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
- Fadi Dahshan (JOR) / Raed Dahshan (JOR) – Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
- Fayez Al-Ghammaz (JOR) / Salameh Al-Ghammaz (JOR) – Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI
- Bader Al-Helalat (JOR) / Amer Mousa (JOR) – Subaru Impreza
- Faisal Al-Ghammaz (JOR) / Mamdouh Juma (JOR) – Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII
- Amjad Al-Sheikh (JOR) / Abdullah Ibdah (JOR) – Subaru Impreza
- Asem Aref (JOR) / Musa Djiyerian (JOR) – Subaru Impreza
- Hashim Al-Kalbouneh (JOR) / Dergham Rustom (JOR) – Black Iris Prototype
- Majid Al-Thunayyan (KSA) / Fahed Al-Sufyani (KSA) – Nissan Patrol Y61
- Yahia Sobar (JOR) / Hamzeh Qabshoura (JOR) – Toyota FJ Cruiser
- Karim Badawi (JOR) / Walid Shabsogh (JOR) – Suzuki Samurai