Q&A Kiran Haslam

This will be the sixth Diriyah ePrix held in the birthplace of the Kingdom. How important has the race become in terms of how the city sees itself?

The Diriyah ePrix is a fusion of extremes, where our past meets our future as all-electric street racing takes place with the historic backdrop of Diriyah, the City of Earth. The circuit skirts around the At-Turaif UNESCO World Heritage Site, and captures Diriyah Company’s progress to build a pedestrian earthen city of the future. Dynamic, premium, mixed-use, sustainable and redefining urban planning, Diriyah will be a great gathering place for heritage, culture and entertainment, globally. The ePrix is also one of the many platforms to showcase Diriyah’s detailed efforts as a hub for sustainability and contributes to its identity as a host for world-class events.

Can you outline how Formula E plays into the bigger picture around plans for Diriyah’s future development?

International events, such as Formula E, is one of many examples that showcase our destination, and Diriyah plays a key role in the Kingdom contributing to the Tourism strategy and its development across Saudi Arabia. Formula E plays a unique role in Diriyah’s future development plans by aligning with the city’s vision for sustainable growth. Hosting the ePrix is a great fit for our forward thinking, clean energy plans and technological innovation as a pedestrian urban development of the future.

What impact has the race had on tourism to the area?

The race has had a monumental impact on the entertainment and sports scene in Saudi Arabia! I would go as far to say that it has resulted in a much greater focus on motorsport, and in doing so opened the doors for F1 from the perspective of the general public. Since opening our first two assets, At-Turaif and Bujairi Terrace – a premier dining destination – in December 2022, we have welcomed over 1 million visitors in the first six months of operations. The Diriyah ePrix has taken our name all around the world.

You’ve said that there is a natural fit between Formula E and Diriyah, can you explain what you mean by that?

The Kingdom is innovating, opening new sectors for development from tourism to technology while sports, entertainment, culture and heritage lie at the heart of the transformation. Sustainability and the impact our actions have on the planet are a constant focus across the world for all tourism projects and urban developments. We are asking ourselves daily, what can we do as a force for good? We believe Formula E started by asking that exact same question and continues to do so as it takes motor racing all across the world.

Was there a natural car culture among the local community before Formula E arrived? Has the race encouraged more local people to get involved in motorsport?

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always had a deep-rooted connection to motor cars. Exhilarating transportation, you could argue, is an emotion pulsing through every Saudi’s blood… whether it was riding horses or racing camels. Modern day, daily commutes in cars are a clear expression of the importance and pride Saudis have for automobiles. If you see the youth in Saudi, they still have a fascination for cars and the mechanical nature of cars, and although there is now a surge of interest in EV vehicles, the youth still holds traditional internal combustion cars in high regard, just as I did when I was a kid growing up in Australia. Many parts of the world have seen cars taking a back seat in the focus of the next generation, but that is not the case in Saudi. Brands of electric cars such as Lucid and Ceer are very much discussed in the local car scene, but so too are classic cars from America and Europe, with many car clubs meeting up regularly across the Kingdom.

Formula E and the Dakar Rally were the first points of contact for many car fans here, and more recently the fantastic work being done by the Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Motorsport Company has helped Formula 1 attract a huge following here. With the race in Diriyah, we can clearly see a movement towards motor racing… the spectator crowds are growing every year and the passion from the visitors is immense!

You’ve worked in the automotive sector previously and are a genuine racing enthusiast. What excites you most about the future of motor racing in the region?

I am a huge motor racing fan, and yes, I was very fortunate to not only work in the sector but also to be so close to racing, as I started off in karting as a kid and progressed through Formula Vee to Group N/Appendix J class as a privateer in Australia. What excites me most about motor racing in the region is the passionate fanbase, and the general feeling in Saudi that tomorrow is going to be a brighter day. This is a tremendously youthful and optimistic society, with over 60% of the population under the age of 34! They will force all of us to reinvent how we do things – sports, recreation, motor racing… the ethnic diversity that individuals such as Lewis Hamilton bring to the sport is exactly in line with the way in which I see the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia powering change. The pace here makes you feel like you need a six-point harness on at all times! Formula E has set the bar, and we are all excited to see what comes next with technology and innovation across the automotive world in full motio