DEAD SEA, Jordan – Qatar's seven-time FIA Middle East rally champion Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah led a quality field of regional drivers over the start podium of the 2012 Jordan Rally at the Royal Automobile Museum in Amman Thursday afternoon. Ahead of the top off-road drivers in the Middle East lie 16 timed special stages through the low lying deserts at the Dead Sea Friday and Saturday. Teams have already had two days to check the route and assess the difficulties and technicality of the special stages. Championship leader Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, the Jordanian duo of Husam Salem and Mazan Tantash, the UAE's Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi, Lebanon's Nick Georgiou and Saudi Arabia's Yazeed Al-Rajhi attended the pre-event press conference on the shores of the Dead Sea Wednesday evening. Al-Rajhi's goal is the outright victory. Al-Qassimi is taking part in his first event since leaving the WRC last October. Saudi Arabia's Saeed Al-Mouri is tackling the event with Amr Al-Refai, with a view to taking part in all rounds of the series in 2013 in — SG
