Desert X Prix electric motor race kicks off in April in Saudi’s AlUla

The Desert X Prix, AlUla, kicks off on Saturday, April 3 in the Saudi cultural and heritage city. The race is the first in the Extreme E series, a competition that will see electric SUVs racing in extreme environments around the world that have been damaged by climate change.

Ten teams will take part, with the qualification rounds on Saturday, and the final on Sunday April 4. Extreme E X Prix races are not open to fans to attend in person, but qualifications will be shown live on the Extreme E website, with the finals broadcast live on MBC in the Middle East.

The five-race global series seeks to highlight the impact of climate change and human interference in some of the world’s most remote locations and promote the adoption of electric vehicles to lower carbon emissions globally.

Each destination has been chosen with a different environmental issue in mind: the Desert X Prix in Saudi Arabia will highlight desertification, the Ocean X Prix in Senegal rising sea levels, the Arctic X Prix in Greenland the melting ice cap, the Amazon X Prix in Brazil deforestation and the Glacier X Prix in Patagonia glacial recession.

The organisers also seek to leave a long-lasting positive impact in each location through Legacy Programmes, which include planting one million mangroves in Senegal and reforesting 100 hectares of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. The Legacy Programme plans for Saudi Arabia will be revealed in the days leading up to the first race.

“As a newly developing tourism destination, AlUla is uniquely positioned to get the foundations right from the outset,” said Prince Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud, Governor of the Royal Commission for AlUla. “There are many initiatives underway in alignment with our 12 key strategic principles to develop a responsible tourism destination that focuses on safeguarding the natural and cultural landscape, sustaining ecosystems and wildlife and light-touch tourism experiences.”

Saudi Vision 2030 has driven considerable investment by the kingdom into hosting some of the world’s biggest sporting events. The aim is to introduce Saudis to live sports and encourage wider athletic activity nationwide to promote a healthier, more active population.