Drivers compete during the Rome leg of the Formula E electric car championship in the EUR district of Rome on April 14, 2018 © AFP/File / Andreas SOLARO
PARIS, France, May 17 – Oil-rich Saudi Arabia will host a round of the Formula E world championship for the first time next season on a street circuit in the capital of Riyadh, it was announced Thursday.
The race, to be held in December, will also be the first appearance of the electric car racing series in the Middle East and the latest in a line of recent international events debuting in the kingdom following widespread reforms of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“Bringing racing to Riyadh for the first round of the new season is the perfect setting for the next phase of the FIA Formula E Championship,” said series founder and president Alejandro Agag.
“An exciting and vibrant country that is focussing on its future, Saudi Arabia will be the ideal venue to mark the competitive debut of the next generation Formula E cars.”
