Latest news with #AlRawahi
Observer
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Observer
2nd Place for Al Rawahi on day 6 of Jordan Rally
DEAD SEA, Jordan: A puncture on the first special stage of the final morning proved to be mightily expensive for the Oman Rally Team's Abdullah al Rawahi and it ultimately cost him the chance to threaten the 19-time FIA Middle East champion Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah for victory at the Jordan Rally. Al Rawahi and his Jordanian co-driver Ata Al Hmoud pushed as hard as they could when conditions permitted but they were always running the risk of collecting a flat tyre on the day's six demanding gravel special stages in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas of the Hashemite Kingdom. Another time delay with a flat tyre on the 10th stage eventually decided the outcome in Al Attiyah's favour and Al Rawahi had no alternative but to bring his Autotek Škoda Fabia R5 to the finish in second overall. Nevertheless, his day's result also netted a second Jordan National Championship event win of the weekend. Al Rawahi said: 'It was a long two days for us. The first day was quite good, especially with the pace and we were very close to Nasser. Unfortunately, today we had some punctures and we lost some time. Overall, we are very happy with our performance. It has been the closest we have been to him in the battle. 'We don't really have enough seat time in the car. After this rally I have three months off not really driving my car. My car is also an older generation and there is experience difference between me and Nasser. That is why it is good that he is in the championship. He helps us to push and get closer to him. It is still good. We wanted to win but we are still happy.' Abdullah al Rawahi on day two in Jordan A first pass through the iconic Panorama stage of 17.12km opened proceedings on the final morning. Outside temperatures were already up to 31°C at the start of the stage with a peak of 37°C in the afternoon. Surface cleaning was evident on the opener but Al Attiyah laid down the gauntlet with a time of 11min 38.0sec. Al Rawahi dropped 32.3 seconds with tyre damage on a front-right wheel and that enabled Al Attiyah to extend his lead to 45.8 seconds. The first pass through Suwayma was next in the itinerary. Al Attiyah stopped the clocks in 5min 47.0sec and was able to extend his advantage over Al Rawahi to 52.5 seconds with another stage win. Wadi Nar was the last stage of the loop. Al Attiyah made it a clean sweep of morning stage wins and headed for the midday service and regroup with an advantage over Al Rawahi of 53.1 seconds. He beat the Omani by just six-tenths of a second in the special. After the opening loop of three stages, Al Rawahi said: 'The first stage this morning we got a puncture and lost over 30 seconds. When you try to keep up and push this can happen sometimes. We were able to continue but the gap is bigger. It's not impossible but it was closer before. Now we are trying to maintain our speed. We have three more stages to go.' A second delay occurred in the afternoon with another puncture but the Omani held on to take second place and maintain his push for a podium finish in this year's FIA Middle East Rally Championship. Abdullah al Rawahi during the race The Oman Rally Team has backing from Al Manar Investments, the Oman Automobile Association, WMS, Zamakan, OQ, Strike, Size, the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture of Oman and National Finance. The FIA Middle East Rally Championship continues in Lebanon on September 5th-7th. 2025 Jordan Rally – positions after SS12 (unofficial): 1. Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah (QAT)/Candido Carrera (ESP) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2 2hr 13min 47.7sec 2. Abdullah al Rawahi (OMA)/Ata Al Hmoud (JOR) Škoda Fabia R5 Rally 2 2hr 16min 42.5sec 3. Abdulaziz Al Kuwari (QAT)/Lorcan Moore (IRL) Citroën C3 Rally 2 2hr 19min 01.3sec 4. Bassel Abu Hamdan (KSA)/Firas Elias (LBN) Škoda Fabia R5 Rally 2 2hr 33min 25.3sec 5. Abdullah al Zubair (OMA)/Taha al Zadjali (OMA) Subaru Impreza N14 2hr 37min 26.0sec 6. Nasser Khalifa Al Attiyah (QAT)/Ziad Chehab (LBN) Ford Fiesta Mk II Rally 2 2hr 38min 58.3sec 7. Shaikh Bader Al Fayez (JOR)/Vili Oslaj (SLO) Škoda Fabia Rally 2 2hr 40min 34.9sec 8. Zakariya al Aamri (OMA)/Mohammed al Mazroui (OMA) Subaru Impreza N14 2hr 41min 53.0sec 9. Shadi Shaban (JOR)/Samer Issa (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX (NAT) 2hr 42min 10.2sec 10. Rashid Al Muhannadi (QAT)/Gary McElhinney (IRL) Peugeot 208 Rally 4 2hr 46min 12.6sec, etc
Muscat Daily
5 days ago
- Sport
- Muscat Daily
Oman's Al Rawahi finishes second in Jordan Rally, compatriot Al Zubair wins MERC2
Dead Sea, Jordan – Qatar's Nasser Saleh al Attiyah won all but one of the 12 gravel special stages on his way to a comfortable 17th victory in the Jordan Rally on Saturday. Abdullah al Rawahi and his Jordanian co-driver Ata al Hmoud maintained the pressure on the Qatari throughout day one but a time-consuming puncture delayed the Omani on Saturday's opening Panorama stage and a second issue on stage 10 proved too much for the 2023 regional champion. He finished second overall. Al Rawahi said: 'It was a long two days for us. The first day was quite good, especially with the pace and we were very close to Nasser. Unfortunately, today we had some punctures and we lost some time. Overall, we are very happy with our performance. It has been the closest we have been to him in the battle. 'We don't really have enough seat time in the car. After this rally I have three months off not really driving my car. My car is also an older generation and there is experience difference between me and Nasser. That is why it is good that he is in the championship. He helps us to push and get closer to him. It is still good. We wanted to win but we are still happy.' Al Rawahi also earned victory in the second round of the Jordan National Championship with Shaker Jweihan claiming second place ahead of Sheikh Bader al Fayez. Oman had plenty more to celebrate as Abdullah al Zubair led the MERC2 field at Jordan Rally from start-to-finish with co-driver Taha al Tadjali to strengthen his push for the overall title. Fellow countryman Zakariya al Aamri had arrived in Jordan with a 15-point lead over Al Zubair but his rival's success and fifth place overall has thrown the battle wide open with two rallies remaining. Al Aamri finished second in the category and eighth overall. Al Zubair said: 'We are happy with this result, It is a very difficult race. It is also very hot. It was our first time here. The first day we were flat out and won every stage. Today, we took it slow. We had a good lead and the strategy paid off.' For Al Attiyah, the Jordan win took him to a record 90th career MERC rally win, as he closes in on an unprecedented 20th regional title since 2003. The new partnership with his Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera has a 100% winning record with the duo now taking victories at the opening four rounds of this year's FIA Middle East Rally Championship in Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and now Jordan. 'I am so happy to win again here in Jordan for the 17th time. This means a lot to me,' said al Attiyah. 'This year we have won every rally so far. It feels like a good year, leading the Middle East Championship and leading the W2RC. For this rally, I will give it 10 out of 10. Today, we controlled the pace and tried to make a gap in case we had a puncture.' Qatar's Abdulaziz al Kuwari and his Irish co-driver Lorcan Moore tried different set-ups with their Citroën C3 but struggled to match the pace of the leading duo on this occasion. They did enough to round off the podium places.
Observer
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Observer
Al Rawahi holds second place at the Jordan Rally
JORDAN: Oman Rally Team star Abdullah al Rawahi delivered one of the best performances of his career on the first day of the Jordan Rally. After six demanding gravel stages in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas, the Autotek Škoda Fabia driver trailed the 19-time FIA Middle East champion Nasser Saleh al Attiyah by just 13.5 seconds. This was despite a slow puncture towards the end of the last stage. Al Rawahi and his Jordanian co-driver Ata al Hmoud are bidding to win the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) title for a second time, as well as trying to win the event in Jordan once again. The performance today also netted them the win in the opening round of the Jordan National Championship. At the end of a dramatic day, where Al Attiyah and Al Rawahi were the class of the entire field. Al Rawahi said: 'I think this rally overall is very tough and it is not easy to challenge Nasser over these stages. He has won it 16 times. Being just behind him and able to take some time, I am very happy. Tomorrow, is another day. We must also remember that I have an older car. I think we should be happy with the result today. I think we are on the limit. I don't think we can push any harder and we don't want mistakes.' Al Rawahi was in scintillating form on the opening loop of three stages where he was more than a match for the road-sweeping Al Attiyah. The duo was separated by just 0.6 seconds on the 32 km opening speed test at Tal Hilali and then by a mere one-tenth of a second on stage two. But Al Rawahi was faster than his Qatari rival on the third stage of the loop at the historic Baptism Site and edged into a slender 0.8-second lead at the midday point. Ata al Hmoud and Abdullah al Rawahi (R) Al Rawahi said: 'It was a good day for us so far. The stages are quite tough and very tricky. We had a few moments but the times are good overall and we are leading after the first loop. I think we just need to keep focused and try to do our best. We need to be very consistent with our performance. You have no other choice but to go flat out. This afternoon, the same.' Saturday's remaining three stages are repeated twice with action getting underway with a run though the Panorama stage of 17.12 km. The first passes through the Suwayma and Wadi Nar specials complete the morning's loop. The three timed tests are repeated in the afternoon before the post-event press conference and traditional ceremonial finish at the Dead Sea. 2025 Jordan Rally — positions after SS6 (unofficial): 1. Nasser Saleh al Attiyah (QAT)/Candido Carrera (ESP) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2 1 hr 16 min 10.7 sec 2. Abdullah al Rawahi (OMA)/Ata al Hmoud (JOR) Škoda Fabia R5 Rally 2 1 hr 16 min 24.2 sec 3. Abdulaziz al Kuwari (QAT)/Lorcan Moore (IRL) Citroën C3 Rally 2 1 hr 18 min 29.6 sec 4. Rakan al Rashed (KSA)/Hugo Magalhães (POR) Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2 1 hr 23 min 46.9 sec 5. Bassel Abu Hamdan (KSA)/Firas Elias (LBN) Škoda Fabia R5 Rally 2 1 hr 27 min 24.3 sec 6. Abdullah al Zubair (OMA)/Taha al Zadjali (OMA) Subaru Impreza N14 1 hr 27 min 43.4 sec 7. Nasser Khalifa al Attiyah (QAT)/Ziad Chehab (LBN) Ford Fiesta Mk II Rally 2 1 hr 28 min 01.5 sec 8. Shadi Shaban (JOR)/Samer Issa (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX (NAT) 1 hr 28 min 47,6 sec 9. Zakariya al Aamri (OMA)/Mohammed al Mazroui (OMA) Subaru Impreza N14 1 hr 31 min 25.9 sec 10. Ihab al Shurafa (JOR)/Ahmad Jankhout (JOR) Škoda Fabia Evo Rally 2 1 hr 32 min 51.6 sec 11. Rashid al Muhannadi (QAT)/Gary McElhinney (IRL) Peugeot 208 Rally 4 1 hr 32 min 57.0 sec 12. Sheikh Bader al Fayez (JOR)/Vili Oslaj (SLO) Škoda Fabia Rally 2 1 hr 33 min 42.4 sec 13. Shadi El Fakih (LBN)/Joseph Kmeid (LBN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 1 hr 45 min 00.1 sec 14. Jassim al Muqahwi (KUW)/Suleiman al Helal (KUW) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 1 hr 46 min 32.3 sec
Observer
25-05-2025
- Business
- Observer
Nama expands water network in Al Wusta
HAIMA: Nama Water Services is rolling out a series of vital water infrastructure projects across Al Wusta Governorate to ensure sustainable supply for local communities. Eng Ahmed bin Hamoud al Rawahi, Director of Operations and Maintenance for Al Wusta, said that a key project underway in Al Lakbi (Wilayat of Al Jazir) includes 18.5 km of pipeline and 250 household connections. The initiative, costing over RO 300,000, will benefit about 1,300 residents and is due for completion this year. Additionally, three projects have been awarded for the Wilayat of Mahout, covering the areas of Najda, Khalouf and Sarab. Spanning a total of 66 km and comprising 1,000 connections, these projects are set to serve around 5,000 people at a combined cost of RO 1.5 million. Completion is expected by early 2027. In another development, Nama Wastewater Services has signed an agreement to build a desalination plant and distribution network in southern Ghubrah (Wilayat of Al Jazir), in collaboration with Petroleum Development Oman. This project will serve about 170 homes, benefitting nearly 1,000 people, with a total investment of RO 500,000. Design work begins this year and construction is slated for 2026 under a three-year implementation plan. Al Rawahi added that further water and sanitation projects are under review and will be announced based on priorities and funding availability. — ONA
Times of Oman
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times of Oman
Muscat International Book Fair attracts over 640,000 visitors
Muscat: The 29th edition of the Muscat International Book Fair recorded a 64.81% increase in visitors, attracting 649,589 attendees compared to 394,172 in the previous edition. This significant turnout reflects the fair's leading cultural stature and prominent position on the global events map. Ahmed Saud Al Rawahi, Director of Muscat International Book Fair, told Oman News Agency (ONA): 'With each edition, we strive to offer programmes that align with the aspirations and interests of all groups across various fields of knowledge. This year's 29th edition was notably more diverse and vibrant on multiple levels—local, Arab, and international—featuring the North A'Sharqiyah Governorate as the guest of honor, Saudi cultural days, and participants from Asia, Europe, and South America.' He added that the fair's diversity was evident through dialogue sessions, lectures, workshops, and an expanded children's programme, all contributing to the overarching theme of the 29th edition: 'Cultural Diversity: Enriching Global Civilizations.' These efforts helped attract a broader audience. Al Rawahi emphasised that the organising committee aims to build on this momentum through careful planning and continuous improvement, delivering human knowledge in all its forms and for all age groups. This approach serves books, readers, and publishers while aligning with humanity's cultural and intellectual progress and benefiting Omani society. He noted that the surge in attendance resulted from enhanced organisational efforts and a diversified programme, reflecting lessons learned from past editions and audience interests. The fair's improved structure and varied events were well-received by visitors. The participation of prominent cultural figures and extensive media coverage further highlighted the fair's significance, drawing more visitors despite its unusual early summer timing. This year's fair introduced several changes and improvements, including a more diverse program and international participation in exhibitions and events. The guest of honour pavilion, dedicated to North Al Sharqiyah Governorate, showcased the region's history and scenic beauty through an innovative and visually striking design, blending tradition and modernity. Additionally, the arts corner featured exhibitions honouring late Omani artists and poets, celebrating their contributions to poetry and art, which further captivated visitors. Regarding the most engaging cultural activities, Al Rawahi pointed out that the fair's accompanying programme included 366 diverse events, with specialised and children's workshops receiving particularly strong participation. Muscat International Book Fair received extensive local and international media coverage, with 70 journalists representing 37 foreign media outlets, underscoring its role in promoting culture and knowledge. This year's fair hosted 674 publishing houses from 35 countries—640 participating directly and 34 through agents—offering a total of 681,041 titles. These included approximately 467,413 Arabic books, 213,610 foreign titles, and 27,464 Omani publications. Around 52,205 newly printed books (2024–2025) were also featured.
