A new megacity is being built in Saudi Arabia called Qiddiya – Formula 1 is set to move there from Jeddah in a few years – MotoGP also planned for Qiddiya
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has been part of the Formula 1 calendar since 2021. It is held on a fast street circuit in the port city of Jeddah on the Red Sea. In the medium term, the race is set to move to a new circuit being built west of the capital Riyadh. However, it is not just a race track that is being built there, but an entire city.
Qiddiya City is an ambitious megaproject in Saudi Arabia, designed from the ground up as the world’s first city dedicated to entertainment, sports, and culture. The area covers more than 360 square kilometers and is expected to be home to over 500,000 residents.
In the future, the attractions are expected to draw millions of visitors annually. Highlights include an amusement park with the world’s fastest roller coaster, a race track, a gaming and e-sports district, sports stadiums, complemented by golf courses, water parks, and nature reserves. The Speed Park Track in Qiddiya City, as the race track is called, was designed by track architect Hermann Tilke. Former Formula 1 driver Alexander Wurz contributed his driver’s perspective to the layout. How is construction progressing? “I was in Qiddiya at the end of November during the WRC,” says Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, head of the Saudi Arabian Motor Sports Federation, on the sidelines of the Dakar Rally.
That’s because Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali came to visit at that time. “We stood in the paddock, with the pit facilities and the Paddock Club,” Al-Faisal reports. “The entire paddock building is already in place. It really is a huge project.”
“It’s a whole city. The race track is only part of it. I think the track will be completed in early 2027. It’s hard to imagine the scale of the site. It’s a very big project – not just the track, but the buildings and everything around it.”
“It’s a permanent race track, but at the same time it’s located in the middle of a city. So it’s like a street circuit, but permanent – right in the middle of the city. As I said, it’s a huge city, and there are many other projects being developed around the track.”
Since Saudi Arabia currently has a Formula 1 race in Jeddah, they are taking their time until Qiddiya City is largely completed. “We discussed this with Stefano and Qiddiya and agreed on it,” explains Prince Al-Faisal. “We can’t go there until everything around it – hotels, shopping centers, amusement parks – is finished. We don’t want to hold a race there while everything is still a construction site. That’s why we’re in no hurry.”
In the past, other countries have announced plans to build hotels and amusement parks around new racetracks. This was the case in South Korea, for example, but in the end, nothing was built except the track.
In Saudi Arabia, it is already possible to estimate when Formula 1 will move from Jeddah to Qiddiya. “The track is scheduled to be completed in 2027. Formula 1 will probably move there in 2028 or 2029,” said Prince Al-Faisal.
MotoGP is also set to come to Saudi Arabia
The track’s trademark feature is “The Blade,” a high-speed curve that rises over a length of 108 meters and then descends again. In general, the track is a mixture of a street circuit and a permanent racetrack. MotoGP is also set to race there in the medium term.
In 2022, Prince Al-Faisal traveled to Misano, where he signed a preliminary agreement with Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta. “Yes, the track will be homologated by both the FIA and the FIM,” Al-Faisal confirms the MotoGP plans. “It was planned that way from the beginning.”
“At first, no one believed it. We thought the FIA would never approve the iconic ‘The Blade’ corner. It’s just something different. And it’s important to us that we create something unique, something that stands out.”
“We don’t want a track that’s just like any other. Otherwise, it would just be another circuit on the calendar – and that’s exactly what we don’t want. We want to contribute something unique [to the calendar], a one-of-a-kind experience for drivers and spectators alike.“
”Something special that requires creativity,“ Al-Faisal explains the intentions behind the new facility. ”Of course, safety always comes first. We wouldn’t build anything that wasn’t safe. But a new idea doesn’t automatically mean a risk.”
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has brought several top racing series to the country, including Formula 1, the Dakar Rally, the World Rally Championship, and Formula E. MotoGP is set to follow on the new track in a few years.
