World Rally Championship to be hosted by Saudi Arabia in 2025

The Saudi Ministry of Sport has announced that Saudi Arabia will be hosting the World Rally Championship beginning in 2025.

It will be the first time in history for the kingdom to host the popular international rallying series. Organizers will call the championship the “Saudi Rally”, and it will run for 10 years in the country.

The World Rally Championship’s return to the Middle East

WRC first made the announcement in June 2024 during the Rally Italia Sardegna. It was the sixth edition of the 2024 WRC season.

The Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) and the Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC) will organize the event. The Saudi Ministry of Sport and the World Rally Championship organization, meanwhile, will work together to supervise the competition.

The last time that the World Rally Championship will be held in the Middle East. The last time was in Jordan for the 2011 Jordan Rally. With Saudi Arabia hosting the next WRC, it marks the competition’s return to the region.

Under the agreement between the World Rally Championship and Saudi Arabia, competitors and spectators can expect an array of landscapes. Saudi Arabia provides a wealth of these, from desert terrain to volcanic rock.

A major motorsport hub

Although it may be Saudi Arabia’s first time to host the WRC, it has been a popular destination for competitions. For instance, Saudi Arabia has hosted the Dakar Rally, Formula One (F1), football, and golf. It has also submitted a bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

Chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and the Saudi Motorsport Company His Royal Highness Khalid Bin Sultan Al Abdullah Al Faisal, remarked, “We are thrilled to host the FIA World Rally Championship for the first time in 2025. The arrival of another racing series of global stature in Saudi Arabia confirms the extent of our transformation into a major hub for motorsport in the region.”

“By growing our motorsport portfolio and further increasing our commitment to hosting major motorsport series such as WRC in the Kingdom, we remain true to the goals of Vision 2030 which aims to improve the lives of all Saudis,” he added.

“We will use the experience we have gained from delivering so many world-class motorsport events to ensure that the Saudi edition on the WRC calendar is one of the standout events of the 2025 season and beyond.”

What’s to come

FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) President Mohammed Ben Sulayem noted, “It has been over a decade since the FIA World Rally Championship last visited the region, and from my own experience, I know very well the unique challenges that the drivers and co-drivers will face when Rally Saudi Arabia gets underway in 2025.

“It’s going to be a great opportunity for national and regional drivers to showcase their talents on the world stage, and I am very thankful to Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Faisal for continuing to push forward and develop our sport in Saudi Arabia.”

The World Rally Championship 2025 will start on January 23, 2025, in Monte Carlo. It will then move to Africa, Asia, and Latin America before coming to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia will host the WRC’s championship rounds from February 21-22, 2025.

Photo: Facebook/FIA