Latest news with #MiddleEastRallyChampionship
Observer
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Observer
Al Zubair leads Merc 2 of N group in Jordan Rally
Omani rally driver Abdullah al Zubair topped the N group in Merc 2 in Jordan International rally which was a strong and more than impressive result, achieving fifth place in the overall rally standings in his Subaru Impreza, followed directly by his teammate Zakariya al Amri. The rally, which consisted of 12 stages, between mountainous and near the Dead Sea, witnessed success in terms of organisation and participation, as 22 cars participated in various categories. Champion Abdullah al Rawahi topped the morning stages on Friday in Til Hilali, Karamah, and Baptism, but he lost the title against Nasser Al Attiyah meanwhile Abdullah al Zubair and his navigator Taha Soomar continued to dominate the Merc 2 group despite the attempts of the rest of the competitors to catch him, especially his direct competitor Zakariya al Amri and his navigator Mohammed al Mazroui and other local competitors from Jordan and Lebanon. Nevertheless, Al Amri still leads the category by 9 points over Al Zubair, who aspires to win the title this year. Abdullah al Zubair secured the lead in his group from the day one and took it easy on himself on the second day, slowing down after securing a significant lead over the competitor chasing him. Al Amri, meanwhile, had a great race but encountered some problems with his car on the day one, which he was able to recover on the following day and gain good times. The second day of the rally, which took place in Panorama, Suwayma and Wadi Nar, in the Merc 2 group witnessed competition between colleagues Abdullah al Zubair and Zakariya al Amri to seize the category title, but Al Zubair presented a balanced and exceptional performance and implemented a clear strategy to maintain the difference between him and the rest, he was able to decide the matter in advance during the first day& 39s competition, and his strong and fast time in the group gave him the lead in the Jordan International Rally category, and he secured 30 points in the category in the Middle East Rally Championship after concluding his fourth round in Jordan, towards competing for the lead. The winner of the first place in the in (N) category, Abdullah al Zubair, with his navigator Taha Soomar, said that the rally was special in terms of the competition, which was fierce in many stages, but thank God I outperformed many of the competitors who had stronger cars and in a larger category than my category, and we succeeded in achieving the goal, which was to win first place in the category to reduce the lead in the group with my colleague Zakariya al Amri, and I am happy with this, I also hope that private sector companies will support the competitors who achieve international successes in the name of the Sultanate, especially since these sports are very expensive. I thank everyone who stood behind us in this rally and championship, the supporters, Taha Soomar's my assistants, and the technical team for the great job, it is worth mentioning that many of those witnessed and drivers at the rally asked Al Zubair to participate next year with an R5 category car, as he was one of the fastest drivers in the rally. For his part, competitor Zakariya al Amri said that the rally was difficult and arduous and he faced some problems in some stages, but he was able to overcome them and and recover and presented an ideal race despite the fierce competition, rough stages and hot weather. He added, 'Thank God, we are still at the top of the Merc 2 group and we will try to maintain this lead in the upcoming rallies and win the category. I thank my navigator Mohammed al Mazroui for all the support, as well as the audience who came to support us in this rally in Jordan from Oman.'
Observer
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Observer
Omani rally drivers all set for the new challenge in Jordan
The Omani rally drivers Abdullah al Rawahi, Zakariya al Amri and Abdullah al Zubair, are all set and prepared to take part in upcoming challenge in Jordan International Rally, the fourth round of the Middle East Rally Championship, which will gear up on Friday and Saturday with wide participation from different countries and competitors, including championship's leader, Qatari Nasser Al Attiyah, and the Saudi Rakan Al Rashid who is second overall and the third in the championship Abdullah al Rawahi. The Dead Sea stages and Jordan valley host the rally this year as usual, which consists of 12 stages over two days in Baptism, Panorama, Suwyma, Karamah, Tal Hilal and Wadi Nar, covering a distance of approximately 200 km as Special Stages. The Jordan International Rally, which is considered one of the toughest rallies in the region and also one of the most enjoyable at the same time, will of course witness strong competition between the most prominent names, Nasser Al Attiyah and Rakan Al Rashed, the Omani Abdullah al Rawahi, and the Qatari Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, in addition to a group of Jordanian drivers. In Merc 2 group the competition will be strong between Omanis Abdullah al Zubair and Zakariya al Amri for the lead in the Merc 2 (N category), as Al Amri still leads the category by 15 points over Al Zubair. A quick review of this rally shows that competition will not be easy between Al Attiyah and Al Rawahi, as both have long experience in the Jordan International Rally, Al Attiyah is the most successful driver there, meanwhile Al Rawahi is building his ambitions to win the rally, given that he started his rally carrier in Jordan rallies and has won numerous titles there, both in the Jordan National Rallies and the International Rallies including the MERC championship in 2023. Al Rawahi, who will be accompanied by Jordanian Atta Al Hamoud in the navigation seat, and on board a Skoda Fabia, explained that he will do his best in terms of effort and work inside the car to win this time and remove the bad luck that has plagued him in the past three rallies this year, despite many differences in the participating teams in terms of capabilities, technical teams and support. He said, "First, I would like to thank the supporters and sponsors , the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth (MoCSY), the Oman Automobile Association, OQ Group, National Finance, Al Manar, WMS, Strike, Size, and Zamakan for standing behind us in this championship'. He added that as everyone knows, the Jordan Rally is difficult especially in the Dead Sea and Jordan valley, in the hot weather and varied terrain, the other competitors' cars are better and newer than mine, but will not stop me from working on the stages and focusing on the race and we will leave the results until the end." As for the competitor Zakariya al Amri and his navigator Mohammed al Mazroui, on board a Subaru Impreza (N14), he has classified the rally as one of the most rugged rallies in some places, but we are now focused on maintaining the lead in the category and we are working on that in this rally. I am ready with my colleague Mohammed and we look forward to continuing the lead in the category and presenting a strong race. I would like to thank the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, the Oman Automobile Association and Al Fayhaa Real Estate Development for their support of this championship. Our other competitor, Abdullah al Zubair, and his well-known co-driver, Taha Soomar, are also participating in the rally in a Subaru Impreza. He is currently in second place in the Merc 2 category behind Zakariya al Amri and is aiming to reach the podium after his strong and distinguished performance in the Saudi Rally.
Times of Oman
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Times of Oman
Omani trio Al Rawahi, Al Amri and Al Zubair set for the new challenge in Jordan International rally
Muscat: The Omani rally drivers Abdullah Al Rawahi, Zakaria Al Amri and Abdullah Al Zubair, are all set and prepared to take part in upcoming challenge in Jordan International Rally, the fourth round of the Middle East Rally Championship, which will gear up on Friday and Saturday with wide participation from different countries and competitors, including championship's leader, Qatari Nasser Al Attiyah, and the Saudi Rakan Al Rashid who is second overall and the third in the championship Abdullah AlRawahi. The Dead Sea stages and Jordan valley host the rally this year as usual, which consists of 12 stages over two days in Baptism , Panorama, Suwyma, Karamah, Tal Hilal, and Wadi Nar, covering a distance of approximately 200 kilometers as Special Stages. The Jordan International Rally, which is considered one of the toughest rallies in the region and also one of the most enjoyable at the same time, will of course witness strong competition between the most prominent names, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Rakan Al-Rashed, the Omani Abdullah Al-Rawahi, and the Qatari Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, in addition to a group of Jordanian drivers. In Merc 2 group the competition will be strong between Omanis Abdullah Al Zubair and Zakaria Al Amri for the lead in the Merc 2 (N category), as Al Amri still leads the category by 15 points over Al Zubair. A quick review of this rally shows that competition will not be easy between Al-Attiyah and Al-Rawahi, as both have long experience in the Jordan International Rally, Al-Attiyah is the most successful driver there, meanwhile Al-Rawahi is building his ambitions to win the rally, given that he started his rally carrier in Jordan rallies and has won numerous titles there, both in the Jordan National Rallies and the International Rallies including the MERC championship in 2023. Al-Rawahi, who will be accompanied by Jordanian Atta Al-Hamoud in the navigation seat, and on board a Skoda Fabia, explained that he will do his best in terms of effort and work inside the car to win this time and remove the bad luck that has plagued him in the past three rallies this year, despite many differences in the participating teams in terms of capabilities, technical teams and support. He said,"First, I would like to thank the supporters and sponsors , the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, the Oman Automobile Association, OQ Group, National Finance, Al Manar ,wms ,strike , size and Zamakan for standing behind us in this championship'. He added that as everyone knows, the Jordan Rally is difficult especially in the Dead Sea and Jordan valley, in the hot weather and varied terrain, the other competitors' cars are better and newer than mine, but will not stop me from working on the stages and focusing on the race, and we will leave the results until the end. As for the competitor Zakaria Al Amri and his navigator Mohammed Al Mazrui, on board a Subaru Impreza (N14), he has classified the rally as one of the most rugged rallies in some places, but we are now focused on maintaining the lead in the category and we are working on that in this rally. "I am ready with my colleague Mohammed and we look forward to continuing the lead in the category and presenting a strong race. "I would like to thank the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, the Oman Automobile Association and Al Fayhaa Real Estate Development for their support of this championship. Our other competitor, Abdullah Al Zubair, and his well-known co-driver, Taha Soomar, are also participating in the rally in a Subaru Impreza." He is currently in second place in the Merc 2 category behind Zakaria Al Amri, and is aiming to reach the podium after his strong and distinguished performance in the Saudi Rally.
Observer
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- Observer
Al Zubair 1st in category N, Al Amri 3rd in Saudi International Rally
Champion Nasser al Attiyah won his third MERC rally championship this year after Oman and Qatar rallies, when he added Saudi International rally tittle to his treasure, the third round of the Middle East Rally Championship, after finishing the two-day race in first place, followed by Saudi Rakan al Rashed in second place, then Qatari Abdulaziz al Kuwari who gained the third place, meanwhile our young champion Abdullah al Rawahi finished fourth. Abdullah al Zubair and his navigator Taha Soomar snatched the title of the (N) category, Zakaria al Amri and his co-driver Mohammed al Mazrui came in third place behind the Lebanese Shadi al Faqih. The rally, which returned to the Middle East calendar after a long absence, was described as a difficult and arduous rally, especially the first day's stages. Three of the six stages were cancelled due various reasons, including safety issues and technical reasons. On the following day, six stages were held, and Al Attiyah was able to exchange the lead with the Finn, Juho Heinenen. Omani rally driver Abdullah al Rawahi and his British co-driver Whittack tried to make up for their first-day deficit by putting in a strong race pace on the second day and more pressure, closing the gap to the leaders, especially in the final stages. However, this proved to be of little help, as he finished fourth in the Middle East Championship drivers' standings. Abdullah al Zubair after finishing the rally confirmed that, 'My thanks to my assistant Taha Soomar, the technical team and everyone who stood behind us in this race and supported us. This race was really tiring for everyone and seven competitors left the rally due to various breakdowns. We initially set a clear strategy and our goal was to win the category lead.' Abdullah al Rawahi suffered from tire explosions on the first day and fell behind, however, he used his speed on the second day to improve his position and finished the race in fourth place, hoping to achieve a better result in the next race at the end of the month in the fourth round of the championship in Jordan. On the other side, Zakaria al Amri explained that the stages were difficult and resulted in many tire blowouts, but he was pleased to have earned the additional points and third place in the category in this rally and hopes to deliver a better race in Jordan.
Observer
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Observer
Rashid named FIA safety official in Saudi rally
MUSCAT: The International Automobile Federation (FIA) has appointed Oman's Rashid al Balushi as the FIA's rally safety representative for the Saudi International Rally, the third round of the Middle East Rally Championship. This event is being held for the first time in Saudi Arabia as part of the Middle East Rally Championship calendar, where Saudi Arabia will join the 2025 World Rally Championship at the end of this year. Rashid al Balushi has extensive experience in the world of rallying, both as a driver in the Oman Rally Championship and as a safety supervisor in local rallies. He joined the FIA team in 2020 as a rally safety representative, overseeing the safety of competitors and spectators, as well as implementing FIA regulations to ensure everyone's safety and the safe completion of the rally. Rashid al Balushi has previously participated as a rally safety representative in several regional rallies, including the Acropolis Rally in Greece, Middle East rallies under the supervision of the International Automobile Federation, and in Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon and Cyprus rallies, in addition to the Sultanate of Oman's rallies, the last of which was this year in Suhar and in Qatar also. Al Balushi's task will be to ensure that safety procedures are implemented in the Saudi Rally before the entering of rally cars to the rally stages.
