The evolution of motorsport in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has become as a major player in international motorsport in recent years, positioning itself on the calendars of prestigious championships in both circuit racing and off-road formats.
Motorsport has surged into second place behind football as the most popular sport in the country. This development was accelerated when the first ever Formula One Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia took place in Jeddah last year - with Extreme E team owner Sir Lewis Hamilton emerging as the winner.
No Saudi driver has ever raced in F1. However, at the 2018 French Grand Prix, Saudi woman Aseel Al-Hamad test drove a Renault F1 car, putting in great demonstration laps - the same day that Saudi Arabia allowed women to obtain a driving licence.
Beyond F1, Saudi Arabia has an extensive range of motorsport events, including Formula E, the Dakar Rally and Extreme E.
The first ePrix in Saudi Arabia in 2018 was a decisive turning-point for the country’s growing role in motorsport. The race weekend, located in Diriyah, was the first Formula E event to be held in the Middle East and gathered a crowd of over 23,000 spectators. Since then, the Diriyah ePrix has become an annual fixture on the Formula E calendar.
Similarly, the Dakar Rally has taken place in Saudi Arabia since 2020, securing a reputation for off-road motorsport events. Several Extreme E drivers have enjoyed success in the event, with Nasser Al-Attiyah achieving back-to-back wins with his victory this year, Sébastien Loeb and Carlos Sainz Snr. breaking records, and Cristina Gutierrez, Laia Sanz and Molly Taylor amongst the quickest females competing.
The first international motorsport competition to be hosted was the Race of Champions in February 2018, where former F1 driver, David Coulthard, won the event. This marked the start of Saudi Arabia’s motorsport journey, which has seen huge investment in infrastructure across the state, such as street tracks in Jeddah and Diriyah, as well as another circuit under construction in Qiddiya.
MotoGP has raced in the region since 2004 with a floodlit night Grand Prix in Qatar, but as recently as 2022 the prestigious championship signed on to race in Saudi Arabia. The future Saudi Arabian Grand Prix would be held on a newly constructed, multi-purpose circuit, with a location yet to be chosen.
The addition of Saudi Arabia to the MotoGP calendar on an annual basis is yet another exciting example of motorsport expanding further into the Middle East. Dorna, Commercial Rights Holder for MotoGP, has established that the partnership would also produce a new talent development programme for young Saudi riders – further demonstrating how motorsport is settling at the heart of Saudi Arabian sport.
Extreme E will be returning to NEOM, a region in the northwest of Saudi Arabia on the 11-12 March to make its mark in the country’s motorsport story. It will be the series third visit to the country and will mark the start of the highly anticipated Season 3.
While Season 3 will debut in Al Sourah, previous events have been held in the Hisma desert of NEOM and dunes of the AlUla region, showcasing the diverse landscapes Saudi Arabia has to offer. This has given Extreme E the platform to not only show varied and innovative racing, but also bring attention to the impacts of climate change, such as desertification and loss of biological diversity.
Previous Desert X Prix’s have certainly not disappointed from a racing perspective, with Qualifying and Finals going down to the wire. In 2021, the inaugural X Prix saw Rosberg X Racing (RXR) defeat challenging conditions and a touch and go qualifying, to claim top spot of the podium. In 2022, RXR showed their desert prowess once again, claiming a last gasp win after Tanner Foust, of NEOM McLaren XE Team, had a shocking roll in the first lap. The accident turned the final into a one-lap shootout, with Kristoffersson taking a bold wide line to secure the win.
The opening round of the Extreme E Season 3 will take place on the shores of the Red Sea close to the location of the 2022 NEOM Beach Games, which hosted over 300 athletes from 25 countries.
Extreme E’s world-class teams and drivers will once again face a mostly sandy terrain, though a very different challenge and location to the deserts of the series’ previous races in Saudi Arabia.
The 2023 Desert X Prix action gets underway in less than a months’ time on 11-12 March, as the sport for purpose series embarks on its third and most electrifying season yet.
