Thirteen crews and competitors from 11 nations will tackle 13 special stages and 215.44 competitive kilometres in a route of 659.72km organised by the Oman Automobile Association (OAA). There will also be a national status section for crews running at the rear of the field.

Based in the city of Sohar in the north of the Sultanate for a second successive year, the event again takes its slot as the season’s opener with rounds to follow in Qatar, Jordan, Lebanon, Cyprus and Saudi Arabia.

Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah is the most successful driver in Middle East motor sporting history and the Qatari teams up with Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera at the head of the field. Fresh from the Dakar Rally in early Saudi Arabia, the Qatari starts his campaign for a 21st regional rally title and a record-breaking ninth win in the Sultanate of Oman. Al-Attiyah again wheels out a Škoda Fabia RS run by Autotek Motorsport.

His main rival will be the leading local driver and former regional champion Abdullah Al-Rawahi. Now recovered from an injury sustained on a national event in Lebanon last year, Al-Rawahi teams up with Jordanian co-driver Ata Al-Hmoud. He will be looking for a third victory on his home event in six years and also drives a Škoda Fabia RS.

Further Rally 2 competition comes from the likes of Hamza Bakhashab, the son of former regional champion Abdullah, with Irish co-driver Lorcan Moore in a Toyota GR Yaris and Qatari veteran and defending Master driver champion Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya with his Lebanese team-mate Ziad Chehab.

There are additional Rally 2 entries for Jordan’s Sheikh Bader Al-Fayez (Škoda), Qatar’s Rashid Al-Muhannadi (Peugeot) and Ihab Al-Shorafa (Škoda).

Talented Qatari youngster Mohammed Al-Marri will be flying QMMF Team colours in Rally 4 with his Peugeot 208 against Indian racer Payyaakkal Panikkaveettil (Ford), while Lebanon’s Shadi Al-Fakih will be looking for success in Rally 5 with a Renault Clio.

The battle for Rally 2 honours should be fought out between local driver Zakariya Al-Aamri (Subaru) and Mitsubishi Lancers in the hands of Kuwaiti Jassim Al-Muqahwi and Jordan’s Shaker Jweihan. Defending FIA MERC2 champion Abdullah Al-Zubair is not competing.

Sohar is the largest city in the Al-Batinah North Governorate in Oman and lies on the northeastern coast. It has been credited as being the birthplace of Sinbad the Sailor.

The event features the Sultanate’s traditionally fast and flowing gravel stages on tracks through the neighbouring mountains. It has support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, the Sohar Governorate office and Toyota Oman.

Administration checks will be held at the Sohar Entertainment Centre on January 20th with crews also permitted to carry out their first day of reconnaissance. Scrutineering checks at the ROP Inspection Area in Sohar and the second full day of reconnaissance will be held on January 21st.  

Final set-up checks can then be carried out on a 5.5km shakedown stage on January 22nd before the opening 2.52km Sohar Super Special stage.

As was the case in 2025, there will be two passes through three timed tests on January 23rd. A shortened version of the Ar-Rusays (15.42km) stage opens proceedings and precedes runs through the Ar-Rassah (19.15km) and Al-Uwaynah (13.97km) specials. The three speed tests will be repeated after a return to Sohar for a late morning regroup and service.

A further two passes through three other stages wrap up the competition on January 24th. Al-Akak (25.25km) and Yanboa (13.81km) are both similar to the specials that were used in 2025 but the last stage of the loop will be at Rahab (18.86km).

They will be repeated in the afternoon after another return to Sohar for service and regrouping. The second pass through Rahab will also act as the event’s Power Stage with additional points available for the fastest five drivers.

The rally is one of the oldest in the Middle East and dates back to 1979 when the inaugural event was won by Harri Kallström and Claes Billstam in a Datsun 160J/SSS. It was a round of the first ever MERC in 1984, an event that was won by Saeed Al-Hajri and John Spiller in a Porsche 911 SC RS. 

Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah now has the record for the number of individual wins. He had been tied with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem on seven wins apiece until he claimed an eighth title last January and a first with his then new co-driver Candido Carrera. Local driver Abdullah Al-Rawahi has won the event twice in the last five years (2021 and 2023).

2026 Oman International Rally – entry list:

1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Candido Carrera (ESP)                                           Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2

2. Abdullah Al-Rawahi (OMN)/Ata Al-Hmoud (JOR)                                                    Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2             

3. Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya (QAT)/Ziad Chehab (LEB)                                                     Ford Fiesta Mk II Rally 2

4. Hamza Bakhashab (KSA)/Lorcan Moore (IRL)                                                           Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2            

5. Rashid Al-Muhannadi (QAT)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL)                                   Peugeot 208 Rally 2

6. Zakariya Al-Aamri (OMN)/Mohammed Al-Mazroui (OMN)                                   Subaru Impreza WRX STi

7. Bader Al-Fayez (JOR)/TBA                                                                                             Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2

8. Ihab Al-Shurafa (JOR)/Ahmad Jankout (JOR)                                                            Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2

9. Mohammed Al-Marri (QAT)/Pierre Delorme (FRA)                                                 Peugeot 208 Rally 4

10. Shadi El Fakih (LBN)/Joseph Kmeid (LBN)                                                                Renault Clio Rally 5

11. Jassim Al-Muqahwi (KWT)/Sulaiman Al-Helal (KWT)                                            Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

12. Payyaakkal Panikkaveettil (IND)/Musa Sherif (IND)                                              Ford Fiesta

14. Shaker Jweihan (JOR)/Mustafa Juma (JOR)                                                            Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

Timetable of events

Tuesday, January 20

Administration checks, Rally HQ                                                             08.00hrs onwards

Wednesday, January 21

Scrutineering checks, ROP Inspection Centre                                    17.00hrs onwards

Thursday, January 22

Shakedown                                                                                                       09.00hrs-11.00hrs

Pre-rally press conference, Sohar Entertainment Centre             14.15hrs

Ceremonial start, Sohar Entertainment Centre                                 15.15hrs

SSS1 Soha super special stage                                                                  16.13hrs (first car)

Friday, January 23

Start of leg 1 (six stages)                                                                             08.00hrs

Finish of leg 1                                                                                                  17.45hrs

Saturday, January 24

Start of leg 2 (six stages)                                                                             07.30hrs

Finish of leg 2, Service Park                                                                       16.58hrs

Post-rally press conference, Sohar Entertainment Centre           18.00hrs

Podium ceremony, Sohar Entertainment Centre                             18.30hrs