RIYADH: This year’s edition of the ABB Formula EDiriyahE-Prix will be a successthanks to the recent experience gained in preparing tohosttop class sporting events in the Kingdom, according to the president of the Ƶ Motor Federation.
Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Faisal told Arab News on Friday that while putting on large scale events in the Kingdom can pose achallenge, preparations for this year’s electric racing seriesevent were easier and smoother, which he said would make the 2019 editionasuccess.
“The first year was a big challenge for us, when you see SaudiArabia,we haven’t organized an event at such a high level as the Formula E.
“For our team, the Saudi automobile and motorcycle federations, to organize an event at such a high level was a challenge, but we got all the support we needed from the government, and our youth are very intelligent, enthusiastic and excited about these events,so we gave them the proper training,” he said.
WATCH: President of Ƶ Motor Federation Prince Kahlid bin Sultan Al-Faisal speaks to Arab News about this weekend's which got under way on Friday.
— Arab News (@arabnews)
“It was a strong mission, butwe got all the support we needed, we did the best we do andI think we did a good job.So,this year it was easier for us, we got used to it and the team is well prepared mentally and physically, we had more time to prepare, so we’re in a much more relaxed situation,” Prince Khalid added.
And, according to the prince, the importance of hosting such events is a part of the growth of Ƶ as a country.
“The Formula E is such a big event, and such an important event for us as Saudis because we are very big fans of motorsports in general,” he said.
“Hosting such an event at this time in Ƶ is very important, especially as we are known as a countrydependenton oil, and now we have the vision of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to change our economy relying on the oil and investing in alternative energy.
“We have a big change in Ƶ and motorsport is part of it,” he added.
Prince Khalid told Arab News that hosting events like Formula E in historical sites such asDiriyahforms a perfect alliance with the plans of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 for boosting tourism.
Prince Khalid with Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, chairman of the General Sports Authority. (Supplied/ABB Formula E)
"We want to show the world how beautiful our country is, and that is why we choseDiriyah, because it is a historical place, it is a UNESCO place, it was the first capital of Ƶ and the landscape is very beautiful.We are happy as we have the double this year, so it’s double-fun with the double race.
“We are looking for an exciting weekend andas we succeeded last year,this year is going to be a success as well.”
