Concerns over human rights in Saudi Arabia refuse to let up, but the organisers of its F1 race are determined to continue hosting grands prix and take encouragement from benefits found at home ⬇️
Formula 1 in Saudi Arabia has weathered a fair few storms, from sportswashing criticisms and concerns over human rights to the safety doubts after the missile attack at the race in 2022. On the eve of the event taking place last weekend, human rights group Reprieve issued a strongly worded statement regarding the situation inside Saudi Arabia.
"Carrying out these executions on the eve of the Jeddah Grand Prix is a brazen display of impunity by the Saudi authorities, confident that the sport and its commercial partners will stay silent, and that the pageantry of F1 will distract from the bloodshed." Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB19, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR23, George Russell, Mercedes F1 W14, the rest of the field at the startAnd things are slowly changing. That much was clear for anyone arriving at King Abdulaziz International Airport last week, as the promotional videos of the race showcased the story of a young girl who dreamed of – and achieved – finding herself on the F1 grid battling against her rivals.
"I think there have been a lot of questions about why we are hosting these events in the kingdom," he explained."We host it for the people, for the youth. As you may know, 70% of the population of Saudi is below the age of 40, and we see that on the ground today. "So we can see the potential benefit for motorsport by hosting F1. There are families with kids there, they are watching, and when they leave they want to get into a car and race. These are the benefits that we that we really see on the ground. And maybe a lot of what people speculate about, they don't talk about these things. But for us, it's the benefit for the people and how can we deliver on that."Other sports too have seen tremendous growth in Saudi Arabia.
"They can criticise as much as they like, but we're going to continue with our development. We know what's best for the girls and women footballers in the kingdom, and how do we develop that. And we want to be part of the international footprint to give them the opportunity to go hopefully one day and play in the World Cup.
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