Formula One Grand Prix is one of the most thrilling events that people look forward to. And next year, Saudi Arabia will be hosting the event for the first time. The Red Sea city of Jeddah will be the venue for the race in 2021. The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia will host this event as part of the Vision 2030 project. Read on to know more.
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Jeddah Will Host The Event As Part Of A Record 23-race Formula One Programme
Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki spoke about the Kingdom’s transformation plan while announcing this news. For the race, Saudi has been roped in for the 2021 season as part of a record 23-race Formula One programme, as the sport seeks to bounce back from a shortened 2020 season disrupted by the pandemic.
In terms of the pandemic, Saudi Arabia is also following strict rules and lockdown after it recorded 336,000 cases with 5,489 deaths. About this, Prince Abdulaziz told a press conference,
“We hope to overcome this pandemic and that people will be able to attend, but things aren’t clear yet in this regard.”
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Saudi Arabia Aims To Host 2030 Asian Games To Promote Tourism And Bussiness
Well, this is not the first time that Saudi is hosting a major sports event. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosts the Dakar Rally, a 12-day marathon through the Arabian desert, and the all-electric Formula E series, in addition to boxing, golf and tennis events. Besides this, it has also hosted the Italian and Spanish Super Cup finals last year with football superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Saudi is also competing to host the 2030 Asian Games. It is aiming to expand its sports schedule to attract more tourists and visitors for business and investments.
Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s “Vision 2030” plan, Saudi is aiming to promote itself on the global stage. The big-ticket programme has included everything from wrestling and the launch of a women’s football league. This is a major change, considering women were only allowed to enter stadiums as viewers from January 2018.