DEAD SEA, JORDAN – The Rally2 cars may grab most of the headlines on rounds of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), but the FIA MERC2 category is where amateur drivers and rising talent compete in production-based four-wheel-drive machines.
At this weekend’s Jordan Rally, held over a dozen special stages in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley regions, promising local star Shaker Jweihan will be chasing his third FIA MERC2 victory of the season in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.
A 19-point cushion
Jweihan dominated the first two rounds in Oman and Qatar. Another win in the Hashemite Kingdom would be a major step towards a second title for the Jordanian and a first for his co-driver Mustafa Juma. The pair hold a 19-point lead over Kuwait’s Jassim Al-Muqahwi and Sulaiman Al-Helal, although Jordanian and Omani crews will also be in the fight this weekend.
Oman’s Zakariya Al-Aamri has been on the verge of regional success for several seasons in his Subaru Impreza, and finished runner-up to compatriot Abdullah Al-Zubair in 2025. He and Mohammed Al-Mazrui are third in the standings.
Local driver Sami Fleifel, partnered by Ameer Nassif, is three points behind the Omani in his Mitsubishi. Fleifel is joint fourth in the championship with Lebanon’s Charbel Chebly, who is not competing in Jordan.
The Al-Thefiri era
Kuwait’s Meshari Al-Thefiri was the dominant force in regional Group N and MERC2 rallying for many years before moving into a range of FIA cross-country disciplines.
He won two Group N titles with Mubarak Al-Thefiri in 2013 and 2014, then went on to claim five consecutive MERC2 titles with Qatar’s Nasser Al-Kuwari between 2017 and 2021. The pair were champions again in 2023.
Jordanian champions
Jweihan is not the first Jordanian to win the title. Issa Abu Jamous and Emad Juma were crowned champions in 2022 after a close fight with fellow Jordanians Ihab Al-Shorafa and Yousef Juma, with Abu Jamous sealing the title by 17 points at the final round in Lebanon.
The competitive action at the Jordan Rally starts on Thursday with a new 4.83km Shakedown stage. Drivers may complete a maximum of two passes as they fine-tune their set-ups before the main stages begin on Friday morning.
2026 FIA MERC2 standings after round 2
Drivers
- 1. Shaker Jweihan (JOR) – 60pts
- 2. Jassim Al-Muqahwi (KUW) – 41pts
- 3. Zakariya Al-Aamri (OMA) – 24pts
- =4. Charbel Chebly (LBN) – 21pts
- =4. Sami Fleifel (JOR) – 21pts
- 6. Mohammed Mansoor Parol (IND) – 19pts
Co-drivers
- 1. Mustafa Juma (JOR) – 60pts
- 2. Sulaiman Al-Helal (KUW) – 41pts
- 3. Mohammed Al-Mazrui (OMA) – 24pts
- =4. Ibrahim Ali (JOR) – 21pts
- =4. Carlos Hanna (LBN) – 21pts
- 6. Lenin Joseph (IND) – 19pts
FIA MERC2 and Group N Cup: recent winners
- 2012 (Group N Cup): Nick Georgiou (LBN) / Joseph Matar (LBN)
- 2013 (Group N): Meshari Al-Thefiri (KUW) / Mubarak Al-Thefiri (KUW)
- 2014 (Group N): Meshari Al-Thefiri (KUW) / Mubarak Al-Thefiri (KUW)
- 2015 (Group N): Saleh Bin Eidan (KUW) / Vili Ošlaj (SLO)
- 2016: Rodolphe Asmar (LBN) / Nicola Arena (ITA)
- 2017–2021: Meshari Al-Thefiri (KUW) / Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT)
- 2022: Issa Abu Jamous (JOR) / Emad Juma (JOR)
- 2023: Meshari Al-Thefiri (KUW) / Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT)
- 2024: Shaker Jweihan (JOR) / Samer Issa (JOR)
- 2025: Abdullah Al-Zubair (OMA) / Taha Al-Tadjali (OMA)