Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Jeddah is the second largest city in Saudi Arabia and it was home to the first Saudi Arabian F1 GP in December 2021. That was my first visit to the rather mysterious kingdom and I was surprised and delighted with the warm welcome at the airport. Around the city I found the people to be equally hospitable and interested in the whole spectacle of F1.

The city is relatively low-rise with a population just shy of 3 million. The infrastructure at this newly built street circuit track can be dismantled as the race may be moved to the Saudi capital, Riyadh at some point in the future.

A word about the traffic though; it’s heavy and often chaotic particularly around midnight when many locals are out enjoying the delights of city. The other thing you’ll note is the minimal number of traffic lights. Instead of stopping, you’ll be doing plenty of u-turns.

Accommodation here is very expensive. I’ve stayed at the rather tired Intercontinental Hotel which is on the foreshore but a 40-minute drive from the track. The Hyatt House, in a non-descript area of the city, has larger apartment style rooms AND a free laundry with washing machines, dryers and even a professional iron.

The hotel to stay at though is the Shangri-La which was opened in 2023. It sits just 100 metres from one end of the track and is the place to be seen come F1 week BUT expect to pay upwards of US$5,000/night over the race weekend. The rooms with a track view are worth the premium though and the hotel hosts a number of superb restaurants.

Away from the city, I can highly recommend Myazu Japanese restaurant; stunning décor, great atmosphere, cool music and delicious Japanese food. It’s a 20-minute drive from the track and I rate it as one of the best restaurants I’ve eaten at.