Jordan Rally 2027

The Jordan Rally is a round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship and one of the longest-running motorsport events in the Arab world. The 2027 edition runs from 18 to 21 March, covering a mix of gravel, rock, and sand special stages across diverse Jordanian terrain. The rally has historically been based around Amman, with stages radiating into the desert and scrubland east and south of the capital.

The event

The Jordan Rally typically features between 10 and 14 competitive stages spread over the four race days, with a ceremonial start usually held in central Amman to give spectators direct access to the cars and drivers. Stage locations vary between editions, but past rallies have included stages near Wadi Rum, the desert east of Amman, and the rocky plateau areas of central Jordan. The varied terrain demands different car setups across stages, which rewards versatile crews and makes the event technically interesting for motorsport enthusiasts.

International teams and national championship contenders from across the Arab world participate, alongside Jordan’s own rally teams. The event follows FIA sporting regulations, and the overall classification feeds into the Middle East Rally Championship standings.

Watching as a spectator

Spectator access to rally stages in Jordan is generally free at most stage locations, with crowds gathering at known hairpin bends and narrow canyon sections where cars can be observed closely. The ceremonial start and podium finish, held in Amman, are the most accessible for casual visitors. The rally service park, where teams prepare the cars between stages, is typically open to the public and provides close access to the vehicles and team operations — usually located at a sports or expo facility near Amman.

Local media covering the rally publish the full stage schedule and spectator guidance in the week before the event. The Jordan Motor Sport Federation website is the primary official source.

Planning around the rally

March is one of Jordan’s best months for travel — spring temperatures are mild (averaging 14—18 degrees Celsius in Amman), the landscape is green, and the rainy season is drawing to a close. Combining a trip around the rally with visits to Petra and Wadi Rum makes good use of the season. Our 5-day Jordan itinerary provides a framework that can be adapted around the rally schedule.

For the days around the event, explore tours across Jordan through GetYourGuide to book guided excursions to Petra, Wadi Rum, and other destinations while the country is at its most pleasant for travel.

The rally’s place in the motorsport calendar

The Jordan Rally has a longer history than its current regional status suggests. For much of the 2000s, Jordan hosted a round of the FIA World Rally Championship - the sport’s top tier - bringing factory teams from Citroën, Ford, and Subaru to compete on Jordanian roads. The WRC rounds established the country’s credibility as a rally destination and produced course designs across the rocky plateau and desert terrain that are still the basis of current stage routes. The event now runs as part of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship, which means the field is largely regional rather than global, but the terrain and course design remain at a high level - and spectating access in Jordan is considerably more open than at WRC events, where crowd management has tightened significantly in recent years.

What spectating is like

Spectating at a rally requires some planning but very little budget. The key is identifying stages that are both publicly accessible and offer a naturally dramatic viewing point. Rocky canyon sections and narrow plateau tracks offer close, fast-action viewing; wider desert stages with multiple passes give a different sense of the cars’ speed across open ground. Jordanian spectators traditionally gather at the start ramp of each stage or at known technical corners; following local advice on the best viewing for each day is more reliable than committing to specific spots in advance.

A vehicle with reasonable ground clearance helps for reaching more remote stage locations, particularly stages in the desert east of Amman. The service park, typically located at a sports facility near the capital, is open to the public and offers close access to the cars, team crews, and equipment between stages - often the most interesting few hours for anyone who wants to understand what rally mechanics actually involves. The ceremonial start in central Amman is the most straightforward option for visitors staying in the capital without a hire car.

Browse accommodation in Amman as the base for the rally - most stages are within a day’s driving range of the capital, and the city has the best concentration of restaurants and services for the event week.