The Qatari teamed up with Frenchman Max Delfino for the first time in a two-wheel drive MD Sport Optimus Evo 5 Buggy and managed to overturn an overnight deficit of 2min 24sec to win the event for a sixth time by just 42 seconds to follow up previous successes in 2008, 2011, 2020, 2021 and 2023.
The victory followed his sixth Dakar Rally triumph two weeks ago and an eighth win in the Oman International Rally last weekend. The duo now lead their respective categories in the 2026 FIA Middle East Baja Cup.
Al-Attiyah said: “Yesterday, it was a really good stage but we opened all the way and it was not easy. Today, we tried to push and control and we won the stage and we won the rally. This is really amazing with two-wheel drive and we showed it is possible.”
Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk led at the night halt in their Toyota Hilux GR run by Overdrive Racing but dropped over three minutes to the triumphant Qatari in the much lighter Buggy on the last stage. The third quickest time netted them second overall and maximum points in the FIA World Baja Cup.
Al-Rajhi said: “In the stage, we did the maximum we could. But we had no chance. I think the travel helped him (Nasser) a lot. I hope next time he comes with a four-wheel drive. The problem is the big difference in weight. It’s around half a tonne difference. I opened the road today and maybe hesitated a little. He was full attack.”
Dania Akeel and Sébastien Delaunay rounded off the podium places in the second of the Overdrive Toyotas. They were also second in the FIA World Baja Cup standings.
“I had an amazing time,” said Akeel. “Stage two was very technical, tricky and a lot of navigational challenges. With Ha’il, there are so many spectators, which is fantastic, but it can make it difficult to find the right track, so it really was a bit tricky there. I’ve very happy to finish on the podium on the first round. That is a good start to the season.”
Francisco Barreto and Paulo Fiuza finished fourth in the first of the two SVR-run Toyotas and Overdrive Racing’s Akira Miura and Armand Monleón rounded off the top five.
Sixth place for Yasir Seaidan and Xavier Flick enabled them to follow up second place in the Dakar with victory in the Challenger category in a Nasser Racing Team Taurus Evo Max. The Saudi also picked up points for finishing second of the registered FIA Middle East Baja Cup drivers behind Al-Attiyah.
The second quickest time on the final morning moved Saood Variawa and François Cazalet up to seventh place in a Toyota Hilux IMT Evo after they had lost nearly half an hour on the first stage.
Offroadsport’s Miroslav Zapletal and Michal Goleniewski finished 13th in their Ford F-150 and third in the FIA Middle East Baja Cup.
The final starting list for the event organised by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) saw 35 cars line up for the opening stage. There were eight machines running in the Ultimate category, seven in Challenger, 15 in SSV and five in Stock.
Of those, 17 were registered for the FIA World Baja Cup points with 16 running in the FIA Middle East Baja Cup.
Action got underway with a 6.25km Prologue on Thursday afternoon and that determined the start order the first of the longer desert stages. Al-Rajhi, Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, Mansour Al-Helai and Abdullah Al-Rabban topped the times in the respective Ultimate, Challenger, SSV and Stock categories.
The opening stage ran for 242km between Al-Jafur and concluded in Alhano after a transfer and refuelling zone and a stop in Baqa’a. Al-Rajhi followed up his Prologue success with the stage win and moved into a 2min 24sec lead over Al-Attiyah with Akeel and Barreto finishing third and fourth. Variawa was quickest early in the stage but dropped 28 minutes to the eventual winner with technical issues and slipped out of contention for the podium.
Seaidan and Flick secure Challenger honours
Sixth place enabled Seaidan and Flick to secure Challenger honours and points for second place in the FIA Middle East Baja Cup.
The Saudi tarted strongly and topped the times on the opening stage to lead the category by over four minutes from Hamed Al-Wahaibi. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari slotted into third in a down-on-power Taurus. Seaidan was again fastest on the second stage to secure victory by the margin of 5min 38sec over Al-Wahaibi.
Seaidan said: “We pushed in the beginning but, at the refuel, we found the rear diff leaking a little bit, so we slowed down the rhythm and we are just glad to finish and win.”
Omani veteran Al-Wahaibi teamed up with Maciej Giemza in an R-X Sport-run Can-Am Maverick R to finish eighth overall and earn maximum Challenger points in the FIA World Baja Cup. He said: “Very good rally and a very good result. I’m also very happy with my new co-driver. He’s a cross-country experienced co-driver who used to be a biker and we didn’t have any issues in terms of navigation.”
The QMMF Team’s Al-Kuwari and his new co-driver Marcin Pasek were third in Challenger, 10th overall and second of the FIA World Baja Cup crews. Al-Kuwari said: “Much faster on day two for us. We did some changes and improvements and it worked. We lost the rally on day one but second in Challenger in the World Cup is not a bad start to the season. The most important thing was to collect as many points as possible.”
The UAE-based British expatriate duo of David Mabbs and David McBride (Can-Am) finished fourth in the category, ahead of the QMMF Team’s Nouef Al-Sowaidi and Aisvydas Paliukenas in a Taurus.
SSV success for Alvarez and Panseri
Fernando Alvarez and Xavier Panseri delivered a strong performance to secure ninth overall and victory in the SSV category in a South Racing Can-Am Maverick R. It was the crew’s second success on the event in three years.
The Argentina-based driver moved into an early lead through the first of the desert stages from Prologue winner Mansour Al-Helai, Tomasz Bialkowski, Mohammed Al-Marri and Erik van Loon, the latter starting strongly and losing time in the later kilometres.
Despite finishing only third on the second stage behind Van Loon and Al-Helai, Alvarez did enough to secure victory by 2min 34sec from Al-Helai and Khalid Al-Kendi in an R-X Sport Can-Am. Van Loon and Wouter Rosegaar rounded off the SSV podium in the second South Racing Can-Am.
Alvarez said: “Winning our category in Ha’il is the best way to start the championship. We are happy. The car was perfect. We got lost in a tricky area but nothing important happened, so the job was done.”
Talented Qatari youngster Mohammed Al-Marri continued his progression through the ranks to take fourth place with Szymon Gospodarczyk in a QMMF Team Can-Am and maximum FIA Middle East Baja Cup points.
Pole Tomasz Bialkowski (Polaris) and Norway’s Hedda Hosås (Can-Am) finished fifth and sixth in the category.
Al-Thunayyan and Al-Lahim earn Stock win
Defending Stock champion Majed Al-Thunayyan and navigator Omar Al-Lahim made the perfect start to the Saudi’s title defence by claiming victory in their Torq Racing Nissan Patrol.
Al-Thunayyan topped the times on the opening desert stage from fellow Nissan driver Al-Mashna Al-Shammeri. Even though he was beaten to the second stage win by Abdullah Al-Shegawi, Al-Thunayyan had done enough to take the win.
Al-Shegawi and his Emirati navigator Ali Mirza finished second in a Toyota Prado and Al-Mashna and Abdullah Al-Shammeri were third in a Nissan Patrol.
Qatar’s Abdullah Al-Rabban started strongly on day one in his quest to follow up last year’s Stock success in the FIA Middle East Baja Cup with victory in the FIA World Baja Cup in 2026. But he suffered serious time delays towards the end of the first stage and dropped out of contention.
The FIA World and Middle East Baja Cups resume with the Aqaba-based Jordan Baja on February 12th-14th.
2026 Saudi Baja – final result:
1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Max Delfino (FRA) Optimus MD Rallye 4hr 06min 23sec+
2. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (KSA)/Timo Gottschalk (DEU) Toyota Hilux GR 4hr 07min 05sec*
3. Dania Akeel (KSA)/Sébastian Delaunay (FRA) Toyota Hilux Evo 4hr 20min 47sec*
4. Francisco Barreto (POR)/Paulo Fiuza (POR) Toyota Hilux IMT Evo 4hr 23min 08sec*
5. Akira Miura (JPN)/Armand Monleón (ESP) Toyota Hilux GR 4hr 30min 53sec*
6. Yasir Seaidan (KSA)/Xavier Flick (FRA) Taurus Evo Max 4hr 31min 04sec+
7. Saood Variawa (RSA)/François Cazalet (FRA) Toyota Hilux IMT Evo 4hr 33min 25sec*
8. Hamed Al-Wahaibi (OMA)/Maciej Giemza (POL) Can-Am Maverick R 4hr 36min 42sec*
9. Fernando Alvarez (ARG)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) Can-Am Maverick R 4hr 36min 53sec*
10. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)/Marcin Pasek (POL) Taurus T3 Max 4hr 39min 05sec*
11. Mansour Al-Helai (UAE)/Khalid Al-Kendi (UAE) Can-Am Maverick R 4hr 39min 27sec*
12. Erik van Loon (NED)/Wouter Rosegaar (NED) Can-Am Maverick R 4hr 42min 44sec*
13. Miroslav Zapletal (CZE)/Michal Goleniewski (POL) Ford F-150 4hr 43min 07sec+
14. Mohammed Al-Marri (QAT)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Can-Am Maverick R 4hr 47min 15sec+
15. Tomasz Bialkowski (POL)/Dariusz Baskiewicz (POL) Polaris RZR Pro R Sport 4hr 48min 31sec*
16. Hedda Hosås (NOR)/Pol Tibau (ESP) Can-Am Maverick R 4hr 50min 02sec*
17. David Mabbs (UAE)/David McBride (UAE) Can-Am Maverick X3 4hr 55min 04sec+
18. Nouef Al-Sowaidi (QAT)/Aisvydas Paliukenas (LTU) Taurus T3 Max 4hr 55min 37sec+
19. Abdullah Al-Fahad (KSA)/Leander Pienaar (RSA) Taurus T3 Max 4hr 57min 47sec+
20. Mohammed Al-Atteya (QAT)/Aleksei Kuzmich (UAE) Can-Am Maverick R 4hr 58min 37sec+
21. Ahmed Al-Shamy (KSA)/Ali Hassan Obaid (UAE) Century CR6 5hr 02min 11sec+
22. Hamad Al-Harbi (KSA)/Faisal Al-Suwayh (KSA) Can-Am Maverick R 5hr 10min 16sec+
23. Anja van Loon (NED)/Christiaan van der Rijsen (NED) Can-Am Maverick R 5hr 12min 37sec
24. Maha Al-Hamali (KSA)/Nuno Morais (POR) Can-Am Maverick R 5hr 13min 59sec+
25. Ahmed Al-Kuwari (QAT)/Augusto Sanz (ARG) Yamaha YXZ 100R Sport Shift 5hr 14min 18sec+
26. Camelia Liparoti (SMR)/Fahad Al-Muaikil (KSA) Yamaha YXZ 100R Sport Shift 5hr 59min 17sec+
27. Majed Al-Thunayyan (KSA)/Omar Al-Lahim (KSA) Nissan Patrol 6hr 12min 25sec*
28. Dhari Al-Dhafeeri (KUW)/Faisal Al-Ahmari (KSA) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR 6hr 17min 02sec+
29. Abdullah Al-Shegawi (KSA)/Ali Mirza (UAE) Toyota Prado 6hr 28min 15sec*
30. Al-Mashna Al-Shammeri (KSA)/Abdullah Al-Shammeri (KSA) Nissan Patrol 7hr 36min 50sec*
31. Nora Al-Jassasi (UAE)/Balakrishna Udayakumar (UAE) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR 8hr 37min 21sec+
*denotes registered for FIA World Cup
+ denotes registered for FIA Middle East Cup
Ends
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