The “Petrol Podcast” hosted engineer Raed Abu Zanada, an expert in car racing, in an exceptional episode that covered the journey of establishing motorsports in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the behind-the-scenes details that accompanied the creation of the first official racing track amidst unprecedented challenges.
During the meeting, Abu Zanada revealed details of the early beginnings that started from his early passion for car magazines, leading up to the historic moment when the approval letter for opening the first racing track in the Kingdom was issued, emphasizing that the dream was not easy but required years of field work, determination, and challenge.
He explained that the journey of building the project required living for two years in a tent in the desert to follow up on implementation work under difficult security challenges, noting that he was carrying a check worth 180 million riyals allocated for the project amidst complex conditions faced by the team during that phase.
The meeting also touched on negotiations conducted with major global companies such as Ferrari, Porsche, and Lamborghini, aimed at launching the first official championships on the Kingdom’s soil, a step that later contributed to solidifying Saudi Arabia’s position on the global motorsports map.
Abu Zanada spoke about the major transformation the Kingdom has witnessed in recent years, becoming a global destination hosting major events such as Formula 1 and the Dakar Rally, reviewing the technical and organizational differences between the most prominent global car races.
He affirmed that what the Kingdom has achieved today in the motorsports sector came thanks to the great support and continuous attention from the wise leadership, praising the role played by His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Minister of Sports and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, in developing the sports sector and enabling the Kingdom to host major global events.
He praised the efforts of His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al Abdullah Al Faisal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, and the support he provided that contributed to enhancing the Kingdom’s position as a global destination for motorsports.
In this context, Eng. Abu Zanada said: “After the great achievements were realized under the leadership of the godfather of the vision, and with the support of the Minister of Sports and Prince Khalid bin Sultan, we were motivated to be part of this great movement and build upon it. Our vision is to launch the ‘Talents in the Automotive Field’ project, to stimulate talents, youth, and aspirants to launch and develop their skills in this vital field, as we are a supportive and complementary extension of the great efforts being made today in the sports and youth sector, to create a positive impact.” He affirmed that this is an
