The countdown is on for a spectacular finale: tomorrow, the “Final Lap” of the Extreme E electric off-road racing series roars to life in Qiddiya City, Riyadh, and continues through October 5. This much-anticipated global event is being staged under the auspices of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and the Ministry of Sport, in collaboration with the Public Investment Fund ,Qiddiya City , and a host of prominent sponsors. What unfolds over these two days will not merely be a race but a statement: that Saudi Arabia remains at the forefront of innovation, sustainability, and world-class event hosting.
Eight international teams, each featuring a pair of elite drivers (for a total of 16 racers), will tackle a demanding 3,127-meter desert course engineered with high-speed straightaways, tight turns, jumps, and a mix of sand and rocky terrain.
This terrain will test the limits of both machines and humans, pushing electric SUVs in one of their final outings at the highest level before a new chapter begins. The Final Lap is, in many ways, a celebration of what Extreme E has achieved over its four-year trajectory on Saudi soil.
Since 2021, Saudi Arabia has become both a home and a crucible for Extreme E competition. The journey began in AlUla, followed by back-to-back events in NEOM during 2022 and 2023, then Jeddah in 2024—each venue highlighting a different stretch of the Kingdom’s diverse landscapes. That progression underscored an ambition: to use sport, sustainability, and spectacle to shine a global spotlight on Saudi Arabia’s evolving identity. Hosting the grand finale now in Qiddiya, a city being built as a hub of entertainment, sport, and culture, feeds directly into the larger Vision 2030 narrative: diversify the economy, build new sectors, and show the world that radical ambition can become reality.
This edition also introduces a compelling local dimension: the debut of Jameel Motorsport, the first Saudi-owned entry to compete in Extreme E (and the upcoming Extreme H series). The team, fronted by championship veterans Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor, will compete in the Final Lap before pivoting to hydrogen-powered off-road racing. Their presence adds a symbolic layer—the host nation now fields its own contender in the ring. The announcement of Jameel’s participation highlights how Saudi Arabia is not merely a venue but an active participant in the sport’s evolving ecosystem.
The Final Lap also serves a transitional purpose. It will be the last event under the current all-electric Extreme E format, paving the way for Extreme H, a new hydrogen-powered off-road championship launching October 9–11 in Qiddiya. While Extreme E has been a showcase for electric vehicle performance and climate messaging, Extreme H is being positioned as the next frontier: clean, cutting-edge, and representative of the future of motorsport itself. Qiddiya will host both the swansong of electric racing and the inaugural hydrogen championship in a single, dramatic continuum.
The partnership with MBC Group ensures that the excitement will not be confined to the track. All events—live racing, highlight shows, behind-the-scenes features—are being broadcast across the Middle East and North Africa in multiple languages (English, Arabic, and Farsi). This regional coverage is more than about viewership; it’s about embedding sustainable motorsport in the cultural imagination of the region, building fandom, excitement, and awareness. Meanwhile, DAZN has announced that the Final Lap itself will be available for global audiences to view for free—an inclusionary move meant to amplify reach and impact.
Saudi Arabia’s push into motorsport is not new, but the intensity is rising. Through the Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC)—a body emerging under the Saudi Automotive Federation and in alignment with Vision 2030—Saudi Arabia has steadily built up its capability to host major global motorsport events: Formula E, Dakar Rally, and now Extreme E and Extreme H.
The motorsport landscape is becoming a showcase for sustainable technology, regional influence, and economic diversification.
By placing the Final Lap in Qiddiya, the organizers are leveraging more than just a racetrack. Qiddiya itself is being constructed as a megacity of entertainment, green spaces, culture, and leisure—one that aspires to be a global destination. With attractions such as Six Flags Qiddiya, water parks, and multiple sports venues under development, the city will host a constant stream of visitors, events, and spectacles. The motorsport events are integral to that vision, serving as headline draws that power tourism, media attention, and innovation clustering.
At its core, the 2025 Final Lap is more than a race—it is an orchestration of symbolism, technology, diplomacy, and bold vision. The Saudis will use it to demonstrate their capacity to organize complex global events, exhibit a readiness for next-generation energy transitions, and underscore their commitment to an environmental narrative that pairs ambition with spectacle. For drivers, teams, and fans, the course in Qiddiya will be a final test: speed, control, endurance, and sustainability all interwoven in desert speed. For Saudi Arabia, it represents a closing of one chapter and a bold launch into the future of hydrogen racing, motorsport prestige, and global attention.
The Final Lap is poised to be memorable not merely for its competition but for what it represents: a crescendo in electric racing’s journey and a debut beckoning to hydrogen’s dawn. And with Saudi Arabia placing itself at the center of that transition, the world will be watching—and the desert will echo with the promise of engines evolving, dreams accelerating, and the next great chapter of motorsport beginning.