The Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) is a motor
rally
Rally or rallye may refer to:
Gatherings
* Demonstration (political), a political rally, a political demonstration of support or protest, march, or parade
* Pep rally, an event held at a United States school or college sporting event
Sport ...
championship run under the auspicies of the
FIA
FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels are used.
Fia or FIA may also refer to: People
* Fia Backs ...
. First held in 1984 the championship encompasses a series of rallies held across
Western Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Ana ...
. The championship has featured long-running events like
Rally of Lebanon,
Rally Oman and the
Troodos Rally in Cyprus as well as
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and t ...
event
Jordan Rally
The Jordan Rally ( ar, رالي الأردن) is a rallying competition held in Jordan. It was a new addition to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar for the 2008 season, and the first occurrence of a WRC event in the Middle East. The ...
. Many of the rallies in the region pre-date national independence, mostly from the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.
The championship has been dominated by
Nasser Al-Attiyah
Nasser Salih Nasser Abdullah Al-Attiyah ( ar, ناصر صالح ناصر عبدالله العطية : nāṣir ṣāliḥ nāṣir ʿabdullāh al-ʿaṭṭīyah; born 21 December 1970 in Doha) is a Qatari rally driver and sport shooter. He wa ...
has won 17 titles.
The championship features events in
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...
,
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
,
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
,
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...
,
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
,
Oman
Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...
and the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at t ...
. The championship has also visited Bahrain, Syria and Saudi Arabia.
List of events
*
Qatar International Rally
The Qatar International Rally (known previously as Qatar Rally, also known as International Rally of Qatar) is an international rally racing event held near the Qatari capital Doha. The rally, a gravel and sand event, dates back into the 1970s and ...
(1984–present)
*
Kuwait International Rally (1984–85, 1987–89, 1995–96, 2009–2016, 2018–present)
*
Bahrain International Rally (1984, 2000–02, 2004–05)
*
Jordan Rally
The Jordan Rally ( ar, رالي الأردن) is a rallying competition held in Jordan. It was a new addition to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar for the 2008 season, and the first occurrence of a WRC event in the Middle East. The ...
(1984–88, 1990, 1992–present)
*
Oman International Rally (1984–88, 1990–94, 1998, 2004–07, 2015)
*
Dubai International Rally, United Arab Emirates (1984–88, 1990–95, 1997–2015)
*
Rally of Lebanon, (1987–88, 1991–2004, 2006–present)
*
UAE International Rally, United Arab Emirates (1989, 1995–2001, 2004–06)
*
Tour of Cyprus, (1998–1999)
*
Troodos Rally, Cyprus, (2000–2009, 2011)
*
Syria International Rally, (2001–05, 2007–10)
*
Cyprus Rally
The Cyprus Rally is a rallying competition held yearly in Cyprus since 1970. The event is run by the Cyprus Automobile Association and is based in the city of Limassol (Lemesos). It is run on the winding roads of the nearby mountains of Troödo ...
, (2007–08, 2010, 2012–present)
*
Sharqia Rally, Saudi Arabia, (2010)
*
Shiraz Rally, Iran, (2015–17)
Seasons
2012 season
The 2012 events and winners:
2011 season
The 2011 events and winners:
2010 season
The 2010 events and winners:
Champions
Rally winners
225 Rallies (after Lebanon 2022), 39 different winners, following are the winners stats:
Wins per nationality
count as after Lebanon rally 2022
References
External links
2016 Middle East Rally Championship at the FIA official website
{{Rally championships
Motorsport in the Middle East
FIA Zone rally championships