First held in 1984, the Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) has featured long-running events in Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Cyprus and Jordan.  

The 1985 Jordan Rally was the 3rd round of the MERC and featured the main contenders in Saeed Al-Hajri (Porsche 911), Mohammed Bin Sulayem (Toyota Celica Turbo) and Michel Salah (Opel Manta 400).