Can Middle East Once Again Host WRC?

The World Rally Championship (WRC) is in the process of finalising its calendar for the next year and has set a target of expanding to 14 events, with six long-distance rallies and possibly eight rallies located in Europe.

The WRC, which aspires to hold at least one round on every continent, has identified the Middle East as a significant region. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, it has been compelled to concentrate on Europe primarily for the past two seasons.

The Middle East hasn’t seen a top-tier rally since Sebastien Ogier won Rally Jordan in 2011. Three WRC competitions were held in the country in 2008, 2010 and 2011.

It is unknown if Jordan is once again a contender, while it seems Saudi Arabia would also make sense. In addition to hosting the inaugural rounds of the electric Extreme E off-road series in 2021 and 2022, it has been the site of the Dakar Rally since 2020.