After a decorated career as one of the Middle East’s top rally co-drivers, Nasser Al-Kuwari has hung up his helmet. He announced his retirement on Monday:

Today I am taking the most difficult decision in my life so far, I have decided to retire from my motorsports career after spending the past 25 years in rally cars. In those years, I have partnered with 31 professional drivers and represented Qatar in the best possible way I could. In those years, I have won 7 Middle East championships and 10 Qatar national Championships and 6 Kuwait national Championships.

Now, I will have more time to spend with my kids, family and my career in Bein Sports.

Al-Kuwari’s family has a long history in rally. He and his younger brother Abdulaziz won the 2024 the FIA Middle East Rally Championship, snapping a 13-year streak by fellow Qatari rally raider Nasser Al-Attiyah.

In 2021, Al-Kuwari made his Dakar Rally debut as the navigator for Ahmed Al-Kuwari. After retiring in his first Dakar, he and Ahmed finished 32nd overall in 2022. He took a year off before returning in 2024, where he enjoyed his best finish of sixth in Challenger as Saleh Al-Saif’s co-driver.

When Abdulaziz entered his maiden Dakar in January, he enlisted his big brother to call the shots. Competing with a Taurus T3 Max, fielded by Al-Attiyah’s Nasser Racing, they impressed with a fourth in class.

Featured image credit: Antonin Vincent / DPPI