The Middle Eastern country is already hosting a grand prix on a street circuit in Jeddah, but this has always been seen as a stopgap measure before the completion of its new state-of-the-art facility at Qiddiya near Riyadh.
It is currently expected that Qiddiya will be ready in 2026, and the original plan was for F1 racing in Saudi Arabia to be moved there permanently.
However, Saudi Sports Minister HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal has also expressed interest in keeping Jeddah on the schedule.
Asked about the possibility of two races in Saudi Arabia, Prince Abdulaziz said: “We will not say no.
“We really see the benefits of having these events for the Kingdom, and that’s why we’re investing so much.
“Maybe you focus more on sports, but we do the same in culture, entertainment and even exhibitions, and a lot of things that we watch.
“We could definitely have two races for that already. But I think it’s something we need to discuss with F1 and see how it goes. But we would really like to have that.”
Having made a huge investment in the facility in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia wants options to keep it running. If his hopes of securing two races are dashed, another way forward could be to alternate the venue of the F1 race each year.
“It happened in Germany, between the Nurburgring and Hockenheim,” added Prince Abdulaziz. “So that might be an option.”
A firework lights up the sky at the end of the race
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Prince Abdulaziz said Qiddiya will provide a completely different experience in Jeddah and is also lined up for the country’s first MotoGP race.
“It will be an iconic location to hold an F1 race, 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 you won’t have two races that are alike in the same region: in Jeddah, it’s by the sea. But when you go to the other, it’s the desert, it’s more a different atmosphere .
“Qiddiya is a huge project. Hope they finish in time. So it could end more or less, in their goals. But if so, then that’s the idea to move there.
“But MotoGP will definitely be there because we cannot host MotoGP in Jeddah.”
The Middle Eastern country is already hosting a grand prix on a street circuit in Jeddah, but this has always been seen as a stopgap measure before the completion of its new state-of-the-art facility at Qiddiya near Riyadh.
It is currently expected that Qiddiya will be ready in 2026, and the original plan was for F1 racing in Saudi Arabia to be moved there permanently.
However, Saudi Sports Minister HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal has also expressed interest in keeping Jeddah on the schedule.
Asked about the possibility of two races in Saudi Arabia, Prince Abdulaziz said: “We will not say no.
“We really see the benefits of having these events for the Kingdom, and that’s why we’re investing so much.
“Maybe you focus more on sports, but we do the same in culture, entertainment and even exhibitions, and a lot of things that we watch.
“We could definitely have two races for that already. But I think it’s something we need to discuss with F1 and see how it goes. But we would really like to have that.”
Having made a huge investment in the facility in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia wants options to keep it running. If his hopes of securing two races are dashed, another way forward could be to alternate the venue of the F1 race each year.
“It happened in Germany, between the Nurburgring and Hockenheim,” added Prince Abdulaziz. “So that might be an option.”
A firework lights up the sky at the end of the race
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Prince Abdulaziz said Qiddiya will provide a completely different experience in Jeddah and is also lined up for the country’s first MotoGP race.
“It will be an iconic location to hold an F1 race, 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 you won’t have two races that are alike in the same region: in Jeddah, it’s by the sea. But when you go to the other, it’s the desert, it’s more a different atmosphere .
“Qiddiya is a huge project. Hope they finish in time. So it could end more or less, in their goals. But if so, then that’s the idea to move there.
“But MotoGP will definitely be there because we cannot host MotoGP in Jeddah.”