MUSCAT, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Oman International Rally kicked off on Thursday after a five-year hiatus, with the participation of 18 contestants from four countries.

The three-day competition is hosted by the Oman Automobile Association in cooperation with the International Automobile Federation (FIA), with contestants coming from Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon and Oman.

This is the first round of the 2020 FIA Middle East Rally Championship.

A statement by the Oman Automobile Association said that the FIA Middle East Rally Championship will be held on five rounds in five countries including Oman, Qatar, Lebanon, Jordan and Cyprus.

Chairman of the Oman Automobile Association Salem bin Ali Al Maskari said that there are 13 stages in the Oman International Rally with a total distance of more than 532 km.

"I am very happy with the return of the Oman International Rally after a long hiatus. Personally, I love the stages of the Oman Rally ... because of the uniqueness and difficulty of nature and terrain in Oman, which makes it a tactical and speedy rally," Nasser Al Attiyah, a Qatari contestant, told Xinhua.