The Ministry of Sports announced today that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the World Rally Championship (WRC) for the first time in its history, under the name “Saudi Rally,” for 10 years starting in 2025.
The event is organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) and Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC), under the supervision of the Ministry of Sports in collaboration with the WRC.
The signing ceremony of the groundbreaking sports agreement took place on the island of Sardinia, Italy, in the presence of the President of SAMF and SMC, Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al Abdullah Al Faisal, and the Director-General of the WRC, Jona Siebel.
“We are delighted to welcome the WRC to the array of global sports events that have made Saudi Arabia a preferred and ideal destination, thanks to the generous support of our wise leadership,” said Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, Minister of Sports and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC).
“By the grace of Allah, and with the leadership’s keen interest and empowerment of the sports sector, the Kingdom has continued to host major sporting events across various disciplines and occasions, including the WRC, which is one of the largest tournaments in the world of motorsports,” the minister added.
Meanwhile, Prince Khalid expressed his delight at the Kingdom hosting the WRC for the first time, stating, “The arrival of another prestigious global racing series to the Kingdom signifies that our country has become a preferred destination for sports and athletes in various disciplines, including motorsports.”
He added that this significant event joins a list of other activities such as Formula 1, Formula E, Extreme E races, and the Dakar Rally, marking another success in the series of achievements in hosting events on Saudi soil.
The Kingdom's winning of this hosting bid marks the first of its kind in the Middle East since 2011 when the championship was held in Jordan.
This hosting reaffirms the Kingdom's high and substantial capabilities and embodies the exceptional development journey the sports sector is undergoing, aligning with efforts to achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
