BrazilELLVEE advises on deal to bring World Rally Championship to KSA
The FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) has signed a 10-year agreement with Saudi Arabia, securing the Kingdom’s presence on the calendar from 2025 onwards.
The deal between the WRC Promoter and the Saudi Motorsport Company, hailed as “groundbreaking” by both parties, will bring the motorsport championship back to the Middle East for the first time since the 2011 edition in Jordan.
Although Saudi Arabia will be hosting the WRC for the first time in 2025, the Kingdom has a proven track record of hosting major international motorsport events, including Formula 1, Formula E, Dakar Rally, Extreme E and the FIA World Touring Car Cup.
The WRC events in Saudi Arabia promise to showcase the nation’s diverse and challenging rally landscapes, with surfaces ranging from volcanic rock to sandy desert terrain. According to the FIA, these unique conditions will present a novel test for crews, unlike anything previously encountered in WRC history.
WRC Promoter Managing Director Jona Siebel said the championship was enthusiastic to add Saudi Arabia to its calendar. “We’re excited by the opportunity to be back in the Middle East and in a country with a proud rallying tradition. Each day will offer vastly distinctive challenges to the drivers and highlight everything Saudi Arabia has to offer, from cityscapes to the desert and from the mountains to the ocean.”
HRH Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and the Saudi Motorsport Company, expressed his delight on the partnership: “We are thrilled to host the FIA World Rally Championship for the first time in 2025.”
“By growing our motorsport portfolio and further increasing our commitment to hosting major motorsport series such as WRC in the Kingdom, we remain true to the goals of Vison 2030 which aims to improve the lives of all Saudis. We will use the experience we have gained from delivering so many world class motorsport events to ensure that the Saudi edition on the WRC calendar is one of the standout events of the 2025 season and beyond.”
Sports and entertainment advisory firm, ELLVEE, provided expert advisory support to the Saudi Motorsport Company throughout the deal. Established in 2021 and servicing the Middle East region out of Dubai, ELLVEE provides a range of strategic and commercial advisory services for the Middle East’s burgeoning sports and entertainment industry.
This announcement continues a series of high-profile sports deals for Saudi Arabia in which ELLVEE has played an advisory role, including but not limited to WTA Finals, Next Gen ATP Finals, Professional Fighters League, E1 Series, Saudi Snooker Masters, America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta and WTT Saudi Smash.
