Riyadh to host electric cars race

21 May 2018
Event marks first time Saudi Arabia hosts a world motorsport race

Riyadh will host the opening round of season five of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, the world’s first fully electric motor sport series, in December.

Hosting the electric street racing series is part of a 10-year agreement between Formula E and Saudi Arabia’s General Sports Authority and Saudi Arabian Motor Federation.

It is the first time the series, which debuted in 2014, will be held in a Middle Eastern city.

According to Abdulaziz bin Turki AlFaisal al- Saud, vice-chair, Saudi Arabia General Sports Authority, the race "aligns perfectly with the country’s 2030 vision and offers the prospect of world-class racing on the streets of the capital for the first time in our history".

The E-Prix will see the Formula E cars navigate the streets of Riyadh’s Ad-Diriyah district.

“Further details on the location and circuit layout will be revealed in due course,” a joint statement said.

Hosts for the fourth series include Marrakech (Morocco), Santiago (Chile), Hong Kong, Mexico City, Punta del Este (Uruguay) and Rome (Italy).

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