The World Rally Championship officially announces a groundbreaking ten-year agreement with Saudi Arabia, securing the Middle Eastern nation’s position on the FIA World Rally Championship calendar from 2025.
This deal signifies the WRC’s return to the Middle East for the first time since the Jordan Rally in 2011.
Rally Saudi Arabia promises to showcase the country’s diverse and challenging landscapes on surfaces ranging from volcanic rock to sandy desert terrain, providing a novel test for crews with conditions never previously encountered in WRC history.
Commenting on the deal, HRH Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and the Saudi Motorsport Company, says he is delighted about the agreement.
“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. From 2025 we will proudly host Formula 1, Formula E, Extreme E, the Dakar Rally and now WRC and Rally Saudi Arabia in the Kingdom – an extraordinary accomplishment,” says HRH Al-Faisal.
According to HRH, the addition to Saudi’s motor portfolio is aligned with its Vision 2030.
“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. 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,” says HRH Al-Faisal.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem agrees.
“This is a great moment for motorsport in the Middle East. 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,” says Sulayem.
According to WRC Managing Director Jona Siebel, 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.
