(Reuters) - Saudi Arabia will host a round of the world rally championship from 2025 as part of a 10-year agreement, organisers said on Saturday.
The deal, signed and announced during Rally Italy in Sardinia, marks the return of the world championship to the Middle East for the first time since Jordan was last on the calendar in 2011.
"The arrival of another racing series of global stature in Saudi Arabia confirms the extent of our transformation into a major hub for motorsport in the region," said Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) chairman Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Abdullah Al-Faisal in a statement.
The kingdom will host Formula One with a grand prix in Jeddah, all-electric Formula E, Extreme E, the Dakar Rally and the WRC in 2025.
"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," said Prince Khalid.
The rally will be organised by the Saudi Motorsport Company and SAMF under the supervision of the Saudi Ministry of Sports and in collaboration with the WRC.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Ed Osmond)
