Sohar International to support Ahmad in 2025 campaign
MUSCAT: Oman's Ahmad al Harthy, who will compete for a second season with BMW and Team WRT this year in the prestigious FIA World Endurance Championship, on Wednesday revealed his banking partner for the 2025 campaign – Sohar International.
Announced during a special ceremony in Muscat, the new agreement with Sohar International marks a renewal of a key partnership which first developed in 2022 when the Omani banking leader supported Al Harthy in the European Le Mans Series.
In the few short years since, Al Harthy's stock and profile within global motorsport have continued to rise at an impressive rate. Now, Sohar International will be supporting the incredibly successful endurance racer in the world's biggest championship of its kind – FIA WEC.
Following an excellent maiden season driving a Team WRT engineered BMW M4 LMGT3 last year, where two LMGT3 podiums were achieved en-route to sixth in the championship standings, Al Harthy remains with the squad for 2025 as team-mate to motorcycling legend Valentino Rossi in the high-profile No 46 car. Additionally, the duo will be partnered by South Africa's Kelvin van der Linde.
Joined by a range of dignitaries at Wednesday's partnership launch, Al Harthy gave a presentation outlining his determination for the coming FIA WEC campaign, which actually marks his third year in total in the global championship, and his delight at having the vital support of Sohar International.
Like Oman's number one racing driver, Sohar International is a true homegrown success story from the Sultanate of Oman. Running operations throughout Wholesale Banking, Retail Banking, Investments, Government and Project Finance Syndication and Treasury and Islamic Banking, the financial leader is proud to again support Al Harthy and share the opportunities such global exposure will bring.
Headquartered in Muscat, Sohar International has an ambition to continually expand its operations worldwide while retaining its key focus of changing banking services for the betterment of all, and contributing to the overall prosperity of Oman.
Abdulwahid bin Mohamed al Mushidi – Acting CEO, Sohar International:
'Ahmad al Harthy has consistently demonstrated perseverance and excellence on the global motorsport stage, embodying the same agility and resilience that define Sohar International. We take great pride in supporting homegrown talent who not only carry the Omani flag internationally but also inspire the next generation to push boundaries and achieve greatness.
'Our financial services, vision and values align seamlessly with Ahmad's approach to racing and his role as a distinguished ambassador for Oman. He has accomplished much in his remarkable motorsport career, and this year holds great promise. Sohar International is proud to support him as he takes on the biggest challenge of his career yet.'
Ahmad Al Harthy:
'I'm really delighted to have Sohar International onboard for our 2025 season, focused on the FIA World Endurance Championship with BMW and Team WRT. We obviously share many synergies with Sohar and I am very excited to be working with them again, it means so much to have a financial partner in this amazing motorsport programme of ours.
'Together we will showcase and highlight the presence of Oman on the world stage, sharing all the benefits being part of the world's biggest endurance championship brings. I'm looking forward to taking on FIA WEC for a second year with BMW, and my great team-mates Vale and Kelvin, and I want to thank the entire team for their belief. We're all looking forward to a successful season.'
Al Harthy, who got his motorsport year underway in fine style with an outstanding GT3-Am class victory in the Michelin 24H DUBAI last month at the wheel of a BMW M4 GT3 EVO, will make his first FIA WEC outing of the year just a couple of weeks from now during the official prologue at Lusail in Qatar on February 21/22.
Round one of the FIA WEC season will take place in Qatar on February 28, with the eight-event campaign concluding at Sakhir in Bahrain on November 8. The 2025 calendar also includes visits to Italy, Belgium, France, Brazil, USA and Japan.
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