AMMAN, JORDAN – Jordan Motorsport will stage the fourth round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas on May 29–31. The event also counts towards the new Junior and Master Drivers’ Championships.
Based at the Mövenpick Resort and Spa Dead Sea, the Jordan Rally covers 12 gravel stages and 196.30 competitive kilometres within a two-day, 533.72km route.
The route
Following the ceremonial start and pre-event press conference on Thursday afternoon, May 29, Friday features two passes through Tal Hilali (32.00km), Karameh (10.50km) and Baptism (11.34km).
Saturday brings two runs through Panorama (17.12km), Suwayma (11.19km) and Wadi Nar (16.00km) in the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea areas, ahead of the ceremonial finish at the lowest place on earth in the afternoon. The second Wadi Nar pass is the Power Stage, with extra points for the quickest drivers.
Al-Attiyah targets a record 17th win
Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah will chase a record-breaking 17th victory at one of his favourite rallies, though joint 2023 champion Abdullah Al-Rawahi and defending champion Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari are expected to challenge.
Al-Attiyah has won 11 of the last 12 MERC rounds in Jordan; Al-Rawahi, in 2023, is the only driver to have broken the 19-time champion’s run.
After three rounds, Al-Attiyah holds a comfortable lead over Saudi driver Rakan Al-Rashed, with Al-Rawahi third. Oman’s Zakariya Al-Aamri and Abdullah Al-Zubair set the early pace in MERC2, Qatar’s Rashid Al-Mohannadi leads MERC4, and compatriot Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya heads the new FIA Master MERC standings.
Entries are open until Thursday, May 15.