Dorna Sports, the company responsible for the MotoGP world championship, and the Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC), the company that manages, among others, the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia, have signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ with the purpose that, in the future, races of the highest category of motorcycling will be held in that country.
In an official statement, Dorna informs that this past Sunday, during the San Marino Grand Prix , such an agreement was signed between Carmelo Ezpeleta , CEO of Dorna, and Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Abdullah Al-Faisal , President of the Saudi Federation of Motorsports and Motorcycling, as well as being part of the SMC.
The note explains that “MotoGP is seen by more than 800 million people, broadcasting live to more than 200 countries around the world. The addition of Saudi Arabia to the calendar on an annual basis will mean further expansion of the sport in the Middle East, as Qatar currently hosts the only event in the region.”
Although the main purpose of the agreement is to bring Grand Prix racing to the country, the parties signed a collaboration agreement to promote the sport, with “the establishment of a new talent development program for young Saudi drivers, designed to increasing awareness and accessibility of the sport in the Kingdom This Road to MotoGP Program will provide young racing talent in Saudi Arabia with opportunities to compete at the highest levels of the sport, with the clear goal of developing Saudi champions of MotoGP of the Future This aligns with Dorna’s ongoing commitment to developing young riders around the world, using its platforms and championships to launch the careers of new riders and develop pathways to the World Championship.”
At the moment it is unknown from what year Saudi Arabia could enter the calendar, what is reported is that, if it does, it will be in a newly built multi-purpose circuit.
In recent years, the Arab country has recently become involved in top-level motorsport competitions, including the F1 Grand Prix (since 2021), Formula E (2018), the Dakar (2020) and the new Extreme E, which debuted last year.
Photo by: Dorna
Photo by: Dorna
