Saudi Arabia arrives hosting a Formula 1 grand prix for two seasons at the Jeddah urban layout, but has always been seen as a stopgap until they complete the state-of-the-art complex at Qiddiya , near Riyadh. It is currently expected to be ready by 2026, and the original plan is for the Great Circus to move there permanently.
However, the Saudi sports minister, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal , has expressed his wish to keep Jeddah as well when the other circuit is ready. When asked about the possibility of having two races in his country, he said: “We are not going to say no.”
“We see the benefits of having those events in the Kingdom, and that’s why we’re investing so much,” he continued. “Perhaps from the outside people focus more on sports, but we are doing that in culture, in entertainment and even in exhibitions, and in a lot of things that we already raised.”
“But I think it is something that we have to discuss with Formula 1 and see how it goes, although we would love to [have two grands prix],” said the Prince of the Middle Eastern country.
Since the Jeddah facility has received a lot of investment, the Asian nation wants to keep it running, and if the proposal to have two events per year is rejected, another alternative would be to rotate the venue.
“That has happened in Germany, between the Nurburgring and Hockenheim, so that could be an option,” added the head of sports in Saudi Arabia, who said that Qiddiya would offer a completely different experience from Jeddah, and that they were also prepared. to host the first MotoGP race in the country.
“It will be an emblematic place to hold a Formula 1 event, with a theme park next door,” he said. “We think it’s a good transition [from Jeddah], because it’s a totally different environment, so no two races will be the same in one region.”
“In Jeddah it is by the sea, but when you go to the other one, which is the desert, it has a different atmosphere,” said the Prince. “Qiddiya is a huge project, hopefully it will be finished in time, something that could be done, and if so, the idea is to move there, although MotoGP would only be there because we cannot hold a motorcycle race in Jeddah.
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