Saudi Arabia wants to bring F1 teams to Middle East: 'We are working on that'

Saudi Arabia wants to host more than just a Formula One Grand Prix. The country hopes to bring F1 teams to the Middle East in the future and has its sights set on McLaren and Aston Martin, among others.

Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Faisal, president of the Saudi Automobile and Motor Federation, wants to compete with the British motorsport world. The Midlands and Oxfordshire region is currently home to seven of the 10 Formula 1 teams, as well as 4,300 suppliers.

The prince wants to use his country's oil wealth to attract team members from abroad and encourage F1 teams to set up in Saudi Arabia. He hopes the country can establish its teams in the future and eventually produce a Saudi F1 champion. "We have big companies that can help the future of motorsport," he said in conversation with MotorsportMagazine.com.

Saudi Arabia wants to become a motorsport country

Asked if he would see an F1 team move to the Middle East, he replied in the affirmative. "This is what we are hoping for and this is what we are working for," Bin Sultan Al Faisal said. "With all the investing we are doing in cars — the private investment fund bought shares in McLaren and Aston Martin — we are heading that way. Hopefully we can open and bring headquarters to Saudi Arabia."

Attracting people with the right knowledge is also among the options. That way, the prince hopes his country can eventually start producing the cars and technology it needs and create its own brands. Part of that goal is to produce a future champion who can compete in Formula 1 or MotoGP.

"Our aim is not just to host international events, we want to be involved more," the prince continued. That includes having our own engineers, mechanics, teams and drivers. To achieve that, the country wants to build academies, among other things. "It’s still a long way ahead but hopefully by 2030, 2035, 2040 we can achieve our goals."