Cyprus Rally to Crown the 2026 FIA Middle East Rally Champion

The 52nd Cyprus International Rally will take place from 23–25 October 2026, featuring 30 crews from eight countries. The event is the fifth and final round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship.

Cyprus’s flagship rally, organised by the Cyprus Automobile Association since 1970, will decide this year’s Middle East Rally Championship title. Among the contenders is Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah, the event’s most successful driver with nine victories. A 20-time champion, most recently in 2025, Al-Attiyah leads the standings with 70 points and will compete in a Škoda Fabia.

Saudi Arabia’s 22-year-old Hamza Bakhashab, driving a Toyota Yaris, is second with 66 points. Qatar’s Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya, driving a Ford Fiesta, has 61 points, while Oman’s 2024 champion Abdullah Al-Rawahi, driving a Škoda Fabia, has 56 points.

Top local crews will also be competing for victory, including multiple-time Cypriot champion Simos Galatariotis in a Škoda Fabia and last year’s Cyprus champion Panagiotis Yiangou in a Hyundai i20.

Start and Finish in Larnaca

The ceremonial start will take place at 18:00 on Friday, 23 October, at Europe Square on the Larnaca seafront (Phinikoudes). The finish ceremony will also be held there on Sunday, 25 October, at 17:00, followed by the crowning of the 2026 Middle East Rally Champion.

The Service Park is located next to the Mall of Cyprus, opposite the E-CARS showroom, and is open to the public.

Rally Schedule

The scrutineering took place on Thursday, 22 October. On Friday morning, 23 October, the official shakedown and qualifying stages will be held in Tseri, with qualifying determining the starting order for the first leg of the rally.

On Saturday, 24 October, the mountain stages at Agios Epifanios, Kapouras and Kourdali will be run twice, once in the morning and again in the afternoon.

On Sunday, 25 October, the stages at Doryforikos, Vavatsinia and Stavrovouni, near Pyrga, will take place. The second run through Stavrovouni, scheduled for 15:13, will serve as the rally’s Power Stage.

The rally covers a total distance of 657.74 km, including 183.92 km across 12 gravel special stages.

EVENT SCHEDULE

Friday, 23 October

• 08:30 – Free Practice, Tseri
• 11:00 – Qualifying, Tseri
• 18:00 – Ceremonial Start, Larnaca – Europe Square

Saturday, 24 October

• 09:33 – SS1: Agios Epifanios (14.42 km)
• 10:31 – SS2: Kapouras (19.99 km)
• 11:29 – SS3: Kourdali (21.22 km)
• 14:42 – SS4: Agios Epifanios 2 (14.42 km)
• 15:40 – SS5: Kapouras 2 (19.99 km)
• 16:38 – SS6: Kourdali 2 (21.22 km)

Sunday, 25 October

• 08:33 – SS7: Doryforikos (12.40 km)
• 09:26 – SS8: Vavatsinia (13.40 km)
• 10:29 – SS9: Stavrovouni (10.53 km)
• 12:57 – SS10: Doryforikos 2 (12.40 km)
• 13:50 – SS11: Vavatsinia 2 (13.40 km)
• 15:13 – SS12: Stavrovouni Power Stage (10.53 km)
• 17:00 – Finish, Larnaca – Europe Square

The sponsors of the 52nd Cyprus International Rally are Psaltis Auto Parts, ENEOS Motor Oil and INEOS Grenadier. Supporting partners include ANCO Catering Equipment, AP Group of Companies, FARMAKAS Natural Spring Water and STOP FIRE.

The Municipality of Larnaca will host the rally’s official ceremonies.