Jordan Nationals 2025

The competition hall inside Almadar International Schools was filled with focused energy as 69 competitors gathered in Amman, Jordan on July 18 and 19. Across tables lined with timers and display mats, solvers from around the region prepared their puzzles for a packed weekend schedule. The atmosphere throughout the venue reflected both intense focus and mutual encouragement, setting the stage for two full days of high-level speedcubing across 16 official events and 20 total rounds.

At the heart of the weekend was Jordan Nationals 2025, an event defined by massive personal breakthroughs and rapid progression on the tournament stage. Across all events, competitors trimmed vital seconds off their lifetime marks, turning standard bracket matchups into showcases of individual development. This cubing competition brought together seasoned veterans and fresh faces alike, all testing their limits under the strict regulations of a major WCA competition in the middle of the 2025 season.

Kamel Hammouri delivered a remarkable series of performances throughout the tournament, capturing victory in six separate categories. In the premier Rubik's Cube category, Hammouri led the field across three rounds to secure first place with a 9.06 winning average, supported by a best single of 7.04. Zaid Mayyas took second place with a 9.80 average, while Othman Saleh completed the podium in third place at 11.01, capping off an exceptionally swift set of 3x3 results in the final round.

Hammouri maintained that form across short and long formats alike. He secured the 2x2x2 Cube title with an average of 3.78, edging out Yaman Banikhalid at 4.06 and Mohamad Abd Alkarim Haj Mohamad at 4.11. In the Pyraminx, Hammouri claimed top honours with a 6.17 average over runner-up Zakarya Otair at 7.32 and third-placed Layan Sbeitan at 7.69. Moving to larger puzzles, Hammouri collected first-place finishes in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 36.94 average, the 5x5x5 Cube with a 1:06.68 mark, and the 6x6x6 Cube in 2:09.76.

Beyond the podium battles, the true spirit of speed cubing showed in the individual milestones achieved throughout the ranks. Khalid Yazeed delivered one of the weekend's biggest leaps, dropping his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best down to 20.63, an improvement of 62.9 percent over his previous 55.54 mark, while also setting a new 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 11.37 and attempting 2x2x2 Cube for the first time with a 4.07 single. Ammar Yaser Awad tackled 10 events, lowering his 3x3x3 One-Handed best to 43.72 by 42.5 percent and his Clock mark to 28.86 by 40.8 percent, alongside a debut Skewb single of 11.61. Yaman Alkayyali shaved 45.6 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube time to hit 5.52 and reduced his Pyraminx single to 11.30, while Fuad Ali completed his first Megaminx solve in 4:30.28 and cut his 5x5x5 Cube time by 26.4 percent to 3:04.85.

Other competitors also made tremendous progress on the competition floor at Jordan Nationals 2025. Kareem Abu Ghosh improved his 3x3x3 Cube best to 15.05, a 23.8 percent drop, while attempting 4x4x4 Cube and 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time. Nadia Asad Qoraan took on six events, trimming 39.2 percent off her 2x2x2 Cube mark to reach 5.77 and cutting her Pyraminx single to 13.08. Hussein Rabayia logged a 38.4 percent personal best in 3x3x3 Cube at 19.70 and finished 11th in 4x4x4 Cube, while Baker Safi improved his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 28.2 percent down to 4.28 and posted a 12.73 personal best in 3x3x3 Cube.

Multiple other events produced sharp competition on the podiums. Albaraa Moqbel won the Skewb final with a 4.48 average, finishing ahead of Layan Sbeitan at 6.43 and Othman Saleh at 7.68. Othman Saleh earned the top spot in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 16.80, followed by Hammouri at 18.49 and Hala Al Ansari at 19.69. In the Megaminx, Adam Zeidan stood atop the podium with a 52.59 average, outpacing Zakarya Otair at 58.90 and Nada Muhammed Arafat Natsheh at 1:28.21. Natsheh captured the Square-1 title with an average of 21.86, leading Otair at 28.87 and Shatha Ihab Abdelqader Mokbel at 41.95.

The technical and blindfolded disciplines closed out the weekend with standout individual performances. Zakarya Otair claimed victories in Clock with a 5.73 average, the 7x7x7 Cube with a 4:18.70 average, the 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 23.55 single, and the 4x4x4 Blindfolded event with a 6:49.27 average. In the marathon memory tests, Faiz Wareh finished first in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with 9 out of 10 points in 53:11, ahead of Otair who logged 10 out of 17 in 28:31. Wareh also earned first place in 5x5x5 Blindfolded with a winning single of 19:08.00.

The two days of competition at Jordan Nationals 2025 showed how rapidly the competitive standard continues to rise in Amman, Jordan. With Jordan accounting for 38 podium finishes alongside seven for the United States and two for Palestine, the tournament demonstrated both local depth and strong regional participation. As the equipment was packed away at Almadar International Schools, the widespread personal bests and first-time successes left a lasting mark on the season.