Saudi Arabia joins WRC calendar for ten years
It is a big moment for World rally championship following news of an inclusion of Saudi Arabia on the sporting calendar for ten years.
The WRC promoter made the announcement on Saturday during the ongoing sixth round of WRC in Sardegna, Italy.
The inclusion of Saudi Arabia commences in 2025. The move re-opens the competition to the Middle East once again since the Jordan rally in 2011. This asserts WRC’s commitment to provide fans worldwide with a fresh and exhilarating experience.
Saudi Arabia is anticipated to create new history as it pours new test to the WRC competition including challenging landscapes on surfaces ranging from volcanic rock to sandy desert terrain.
HRH Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and the Saudi Motorsport Company, is delighted to welcome WRC to Saudi Arabia:
“We are thrilled to host the FIA World Rally Championship for the first time in 2025. The arrival of another racing series of global stature in Saudi Arabia confirms the extent of our transformation into a major hub for motorsport in the region.
WRC event joins the many major international competitions that have been hosted in Saudi Arabia including, the Dakar Rally, Formula 1, football, and golf.
“By growing our motorsport portfolio and further increasing our commitment to hosting major motorsport series such as WRC in the Kingdom, we remain true to the goals of Vision 2030 which aims to improve the lives of all Saudis,” said Prince Khalid.
“We will use the experience we have gained from delivering so many world-class motorsport events to ensure that the Saudi edition on the WRC calendar is one of the standout events of the 2025 season and beyond,” he added.
The FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem approves of the move WRC has taken to go back to Middle East.
“This is a great moment for motorsport in the Middle East. It has been over a decade since the FIA World Rally Championship last visited the region, and from my own experience, I know very well the unique challenges that the drivers and co-drivers will face when Rally Saudi Arabia gets underway in 2025.”
“It’s going to be a great opportunity for national and regional drivers to showcase their talents on the world stage, and I am very thankful to Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Faisal for continuing to push forward and develop our sport in Saudi Arabia.” He said.
WRC Promoter Managing Director Jona Siebel was equally enthusiastic about the championship adding Saudi Arabia to its calendar.
“We’re excited by the opportunity to be back in the Middle East and in a country with a proud rallying tradition.
“Each day will offer vastly distinctive challenges to the drivers and highlight everything Saudi Arabia has to offer, from cityscapes to the desert and from the mountains to the ocean.
“We are confident that this is a rally that will add its own unique identity to the championship.”
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