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RIYADH: Professional NBA star LeBron James announced on Thursday that his team, Team AlUla, are set to join the fleet for the 2025 E1 season that begins with the E1 Jeddah GP on Saturday.
James’ team have been named after the ancient city in ��������Ƶ, and will be piloted by Rusty Wyatt and Catie Munnings.
The LA Lakers star, 40, said: “As a lifelong fan of sports and competition, the opportunity to own an E1 team that represents such a high level of innovation in sports is incredibly exciting.
“E1 is a new type of global competition that’s revolutionizing water racing and I’m proud to be at the forefront of its expansion in season two.”
The UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF sees teams go head-to-head in high-energy racing in iconic global cities, including Doha, Monaco, and Miami, in a bid to be crowned champions of the water.
Wyatt, a Canadian powerboat star, is one of the sport’s promising talents after being recognized as Rookie of the Year at the prestigious F1H20 UIM World Championship in 2024.
Alongside Wyatt is Munnings, the UK’s first-ever female Red Bull motorsports athlete and a previous FIA European Rally Championship Ladies’ Trophy winner. The British racer joins from Team Brazil after securing an impressive three podium places in E1’s debut season.
James joins a roster of team owners in the championship that includes NFL Hall of Famer Tom Brady, tennis legend Rafael Nadal, Hollywood actor Will Smith, international DJ Steve Aoki, footballing superstar Didier Drogba, philanthropist and businessman Marcelo Claure, cricketer Virat Kohli, and Grammy Award-winning musician Marc Anthony.
Team AlUla are led by co-team principals John Marlow and Barny Whitwham, who have a combined 30 years’ experience working in commercial and technical roles across blue chip organizations, FIA Formula One and World Rally Championship motorsport teams.
They are joined by a crew with equally strong sporting, technical and partnerships prowess across global motorsport and sports categories.
Alejandro Agag, chairman and co-founder of E1, said: “We are thrilled to welcome James and Team AlUla to the UIM E1 World Championship.
“With LeBron’s championship pedigree and history of excellence in globally celebrated sports, his entry into E1 sets the stage for an incredibly competitive and high-energy season on the water.”
With new teams, innovative technology, and iconic race destinations, Agag says the 2025 season will represent an exciting evolution for E1.
Rodi Basso, CEO and co-founder of E1, said: “As E1 prepares for a second season that will deliver new teams, more iconic race locations, and more thrilling on-water action, it’s with immense pride and excitement that I welcome Team AlUla and LeBron to the Championship.”

DAVOS: Diriyah Gate Development Authority’s Chief Strategic Management Officer Talal Kansara has outlined the city’s ambition to become a model for urban and social transformation, offering a new way of living while preserving ��������Ƶ’s cultural heritage.

Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Kansara emphasized Diriyah’s role in showcasing urban development intertwined with authenticity and tradition.

“I think we have a unique story when it comes to urban transformation, to share with the world and (also) to learn from the rest of the world,” he said. “The area 20 years from now would be one of the best gathering places in the world, something where people can come and be immersed in a different experience, an experience that touches their souls, touches their heart, by providing them something that is authentic.”

Located on the northwestern outskirts of Riyadh, Diriyah has undergone significant redevelopment, carefully restoring its mud-brick structures that reflect the Najdi architectural style. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010, Diriyah is seen as the birthplace of the Kingdom and a living example of the region’s architectural and cultural heritage.

Marking its WEF debut, Kansara said that Diriyah’s participation at Davos aims to showcase the project’s holistic approach, spanning tourism, hospitality, culture and real estate.

“People would see beyond Diriyah as one of the Kingdom’s giga project, they would see elements of Diriyah that that is part of its DNA,” Kansara said.

With a $50 billion development plan in motion, the project seeks to transform Diriyah into a global hub for history, culture and lifestyle while setting new standards for urban planning.

“We have a case that we want to present to the world when it comes to urban transformation,” Kansara said, “and we (want to) foster the dialog between us and people who have urban transformation and urban economy as one of their priorities.”

He added that Diriyah’s practices can serve as a guide for other cities to design spaces catering to human needs, including both locals and visitors.

“People need to walk, they need to interact, they need to socialize,” Kansara said, “also building an infrastructure and building cities where they are welcoming visitors. The infrastructure is not only meant for the (local) community, (but) also for the visitors, because you don’t want the visitors and the tourists to overrun the infrastructure.”

He said that the world is full of examples “where overtourism is somehow jeopardizing and decreasing the quality of the city, and you can see the community bothered from that in different places.”

Central to ��������Ƶ’s national tourism strategy, Diriyah is projected to attract 15 million visitors by 2030 and create more than 250,000 jobs. Kansara said that sustainability is integral to the development plan, ensuring the project meets the needs of a growing population and an influx of visitors.

“Sustainability is not an afterthought. Sustainability has been in the (project) DNA since the master plan,” he said.

Kansara also stressed the importance of preserving both the tangible and intangible elements of Saudi heritage, creating a living, organic space rather than a static museum.

“Diriyah is a place where people can live, walk, dine, play, have fun and learn. You would come in a place that’s not a theme park. This is more of an organic place. You’ll see people living as a visitor. You would interact with people who are living, you would interact with people who are studying, interact with people who are working. And that’s a great opportunity for the visitors to have a real touch, the real exposure to the history of the country of ��������Ƶ.”

Visitors to Diriyah’s pavilion at the Saudi House in Davos have been captivated by its unconventional real-estate approach.

“The thing that people admired and that captured their attention is that usually with a conventional real-estate project, you would see skyscrapers, you would see big buildings, you would see metal and glass. And when they came here, they say, ‘OK, we are not seeing this,’” Kansara said.

“We’re using mud bricks for the entire city, the way that we preserve our architectural language, the way we preserve different social and cultural practices and bring it back to life. So it’s not a museum where you see things, but that’s part of the past. No, this is really bringing things from the past and making something that people really engage with for now and in the future.”