Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah, the six-time Dakar Rally winner and the newly-crowned FIA Middle East Baja Cup champion, confirmed in Qatar at the finish of last weekend’s Baja that he would enter the Oman International Baja on December 17th-19th.
The Sultanate’s first ever Baja-type event to run to FIA and FIM regulations is being observed for inclusion in the 2027 sporting calendars and already has a date pencilled in for being the third round of the FIA Middle East Baja Cup on November 4th-6th, 2027.
Al-Attiyah is currently in Dubai preparing for the final round of the regional series in an Optimus MD Rallye before heading into back-to-back events in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.
But the 21-time regional rally champion will take part in the Bidiyah-based Oman International Baja in a Taurus T3 Max entered in the FIA Challenger category. He won the 2024 Dubai International Baja in a similar car with Spanish navigator Pablo Moreno.
He already has a record nine victories in the Oman International Rally, one of the most popular rounds of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship.
Al-Attiyah said: “It’s been a very busy few days and we have several events coming up over the next few weeks but I wanted to go to the Oman Baja. Oman is a candidate for next year and I promised the organisation that I would come and support the event in December.
“I will enter the Challenger T3 category. Mister Hamed Al-Wahaibi told me that if I came with the Ultimate car, the Optimus, he would not compete! He said that if I come with the Challenger, he will compete. I promised that I would come with the Challenger from Nasser Racing...”
The Oman International Baja will run in conjunction with the last three days of the Bidiyah Sands Carnival, which is being hosted by Wilayat of Bidayah in the North Al-Sharqiyah Governorate between November 19th and December 19th.
It will take place over a challenging roue through the neighbouring Sharqiya dunes and the surrounding sands of the Rub al-Khali.
Organised by the Oman Automobile Association (OAA), it will run in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and the Al-Sharqiya North Governorate with sponsorship from Shell Oman.
