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Qiddiya’s new racetrack bids for world motorsports crown

By Pramod Kumar
The racetrack at Qiddiya is designed by Austrian former Formula One driver Alex Wurz and German circuit designer Hermann Tilke Qiddiya Investment Company
The racetrack at Qiddiya is designed by Austrian former Formula One driver Alex Wurz and German circuit designer Hermann Tilke

Saudi giga-project Qiddiya will host a new racetrack in an attempt to become one of the world’s top motorsport venues.

Located in Qiddiya city, the speed park track is slated to host the world’s most prestigious racing events, Qiddiya Investment Company, the project developer, said in a statement.

Designed by Austrian former Formula One driver Alex Wurz and German circuit designer Hermann Tilke, the track will have 21 corners, using Qiddiya’s natural landscape to create over 108 metres of elevation gain per lap. ​

The centrepiece will be Blade, an elevated section of the circuit that will rise more than 20 storeys above the ground.​ ​

The Blade will ascend above a music venue and run parallel to Falcon’s Flight, the world’s tallest roller coaster, at Six Flags Qiddiya City. Additionally, sections of the track will run alongside a water theme park in the city.​

The racetrack will have multiple configurations, including a street circuit section and a fast-open track section.​

The cost of the project and construction timelines were not released.

The track’s unveiling follows the announcements of the Qiddiya City Gaming & Esports District and the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium. ​

Real estate consultancy Knight Frank valued Qiddiya at $9.8 billion in its 2023 annual report, with most of its projects already commissioned.

Finance minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan said in December some projects could be slowed down to avoid inflation and supply bottlenecks.

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