Confirmation
The official entry of Saudi Arabia as the new round of the world championship starting from next season had been in the air for several months, and already during the last Rally in Sardinia the announcement seemed imminent, even more so after the presence of the Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Abdullah Al-Faisal alongside Thierry Neuville in the Sardinian shakedown. And so it was.
We start from 2025
In the World Cup calendar 2025 will in fact be present Saudi Arabia Rally. This was communicated by the Prince himself, who also holds the position of President of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and of the Saudi Motorsport Company: “We are very happy to host the FIA WRC for the first time in 20205 – he declared – The arrival of another series of this caliber in Saudi Arabia confirms the essence of our transformation into one of the most important locations for motorsport in our area of the world. From 2025 we will proudly host Formula 1, Formula E, Extreme E, the Dakar and the WRC with the Saudi Arabia Rally. A result that is extraordinary for us. As we grow our motorsport portfolio and further grow our commitment to hosting major motorsport series such as the WRC, our focus remains on Vision 2023 to improve the lives of all Saudis. We will use our experience that we have gathered from hosting so many motorsport series to ensure that the Saudi edition of the WRC event can become one of the best events on the calendar from 2025 onwards.”
The return to the Middle East
The agreement between the host nation and the WRC provides for a ten year contract, with the rally taking place at the end of the season. In the meantime, a test will be held at the beginning of 2025 (in that case valid for the Middle East Rally) on various types of routes, which include the volcanic rock and desert. The Saudi leg will also mark the return of the WRC to the Middle East for the first time since 2011, when the last edition of the Jordan Rally took place: “This rally will complete our list – he added Simon LarkinDirector of WRC Promoter Events – we have brought the Safari, the Acropolis back to the calendar, we have returned to Japan and now we will return to the Middle East. We also have plans to go to the United States from 2026 and it is happening. We have gone to Saudi Arabia a few times now and what we have seen is more than encouraging.”
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