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.