The Qatar International Rally held near the Qatari capital Doha, dates back to the 1970s and has long been one of the main events of the Middle East Rally Championship (MERC). The opening round of 1987 MERC in Qatar saw reigning champion Mohammed Bin Sulayem face fierce competition from Saeed Al-Hajri (Rothmans Porsche 911), Ahmed Kalifa (Toyota Celica turbo) and Lasse Lampi (Mitsubishi Station turbo). The event also played host to royalty as HRH Prince Abdullah Al Hussein entered in an Opel Manta 400 with the Royal Jordanian Rally team.