The Race of Champions chooses Saudi Arabia for 2018

It is a very surprising destination that the organizers of the Race of Champions have chosen to host the next edition of the event where the greatest drivers from all walks of life compete. Saudi Arabia will become the tenth country to organize the event, a first in the Middle East.

“Our organization is honored to work with the Chairman of the General Authority of Sports, His Excellency Turki Al-Sheikh, to bring the Race of Champions to this region for the first time in its 30-year history. The ROC is an event that is ideally suited to Saudi Arabia as it emerges as a modern sports market on an international scale.", comments Fredrik Johnsson, president of the Race of Champions.

Saudi Arabia has become the latest country in the world to allow women to drive, with a royal decree issued last September. The Kingdom remains an ultra-conservative country where women's rights remain limited to say the least. They were allowed to enter a stadium for the first time in 2017.

“With women gaining the right to drive in Saudi Arabia from 2018, we feel it is the right time to hold a motorsport event in Riyadh. The Race of Champions is more than a race, it is an event that welcomes the greatest drivers in the world with a first-class environment for families”, adds Fredrik Johnson.

The Race of Champions will be held at the King Fahd International Stadium located in Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom.