This week, Saudi Arabia made another landmark announcement, revealing the launch of a new electronic visa that will allow fans from across the globe to enter the Kingdom to watch its first-ever Saudia Ad Diriyah E Prix. The inaugural event will be held just outside the capital Riyadh, in the historical city of Ad Diriyah, starting December 15 and running for three consecutive days.
“Saudi Arabia will open up its borders to fans of live sport, music and culture for the first time with the launch of a new online visa process,” said the Saudi General Sports Authority in a statement. The official announcement, which was made on Wednesday, was attended by Formula E stars Felipe Massa, Susie Wolff, and Andre Lotterer.
The milestone event will include various entertainment options, and will also see world renowned stars superstars performing on stage during the duration of Formula E. In addition, the opening race is set to be held at the Diriyah UNESCO heritage site. According to Gulf News, the event’s organizers are hoping that with the new, simple, and fast e-visa process, the Kingdom will witness a large number of international fans at the event, where the new-look Gen2 car will also make its debut.
As Saudi Arabia continues to work on opening its doors to the world by building its tourism sector and relaxing decades-old restrictions, the Ad Diriyah E Prix will be the first time that foreign travelers are able to access Saudi Arabia in an easy, fast, and simple way. The new visa process platform known as “Sharek” has been launched as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, a national strategy designed to transform the Kingdom’s economic and social spheres, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al Faisal Al Saud, vice-chair of Saudi Arabia’s General Sports Authority, said, “This is a truly game-changing moment for Saudi Arabia and one that we can share with the world. It is very fitting that the such a futuristic and sustainable sport as Formula E is pointing to the future direction of our country […] Saudi Arabia is racing into the future with Formula E as we open the kingdom to the world in a transformation that is being supercharged by the Vision 2030 plan.”
