By Alyaa Malik
The 2018 SAUDIA Ad Diriyah E-Prix held last December 18, 2018 was an astounding success marking a real new shift in the events of Saudi Arabia. The three-day sporting event organized by ABB FIA Formula E, the Saudi Arabia General Sports Authority and the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation (SAMF) at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ad Diriyah was attended by over 23,000 people. A massive construction of its special race track, E-Allianz Village and concert grounds amazed the attendees and racers alike. According to Brazilian race driver Felipe Massa, “I think it is amazing to see the track they built, the show they are doing, the infrastructure they built here for the first race of the season. It is definitely great to be part of this, and great to be part of this Championship.”
Despite some light rain during the race day, it did not dampen the spirits of those in attendance. The crowd cheered and applauded the drivers at every. Portugese racer, Antonio Felix De Costa with his BMW I Andretti Motorsport, won the race. Last year’s champion, Jean-Eric Verne from France came in second, behind by just 0.462 seconds. Completing the podium at third place was Jerome D’Ambrosio of Belgium. HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki AlFaisal Al Saud, Vice Chair of the Saudi Arabia General Sports Authority, presented the Champion’s trophy.
The performances of international recording artists such as Jason Derulo, Enrique Iglesias, Amr Diab, Black Eyed Peas, One Republic and David Guetta ended each day of the event on a high note and was considered to be a groundbreaking moment where music and dance signaled more excitement for the future of events in Saudi Arabia.
