Formula E CEO vows to "fight tooth and nail" to keep Saudi Arabia on Gen4 calendar

Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds has pledged that the series will do everything in its power to retain Saudi Arabia on the calendar for next season, despite the ongoing crisis in the Middle East casting uncertainty over the region's motorsport events.

A partnership too valuable to lose

The kingdom has consistently delivered some of the most spectacular events on the calendar, with the PIF and the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Sport bankrolling productions that have included drone shows and record-breaking fireworks displays. Since Season 6, 14 races have been held in Saudi Arabia — the first ten at the Diriyah World Heritage Site, and the last four at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, a venue shared with Formula 1. Every Saudi Arabian round has been run as a double-header since the inaugural event in November 2019.

The Middle East crisis and the calendar question

The turbulence is not exclusive to Formula E. Formula 1 was forced to cancel its race in Jeddah in April due to the same instability, a situation that has prompted contingency discussions at the highest levels of the sport. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has also acknowledged the need for contingency planning as the conflict threatens the Qatar and Abu Dhabi races later in the year. Formula E, by contrast, managed to stage its Jeddah event in February — before the crisis escalated.

RacingNews365 understands that Jeddah is actively pushing to host the season-opener of the Gen4 era in mid-December, a slot that would carry enormous symbolic and commercial weight for both the series and its Saudi partners.

Dodds: "We will fight tooth and nail"

Speaking to RacingNews365 in early May, Dodds was careful not to confirm specific calendar details ahead of the official announcement, but was unequivocal about Formula E's determination to make a Saudi race happen.

"So, you know, it wouldn't be shock news to everybody that obviously we plan to race in Jeddah next season," Dodds said. *"Our season starts in December and runs through until July."

"As you and I are sitting here, perhaps we wouldn't want to be having a race in the Middle East right now. But that's a long way away. The beauty of our relationship with Saudi Arabia is that we've been working with them for a long time."

Dodds also highlighted the unique depth of the partnership, noting that Formula E was among the first motorsport series to establish a meaningful foothold in the kingdom. "I think we were the first motorsport to break into Saudi Arabia, the first one they fully invested in. And we've got an incredible partnership. So I think there's lots of flexibility and willingness within that partnership."

That flexibility, he suggested, could prove crucial if the situation prevents Jeddah from hosting the season opener. "So if we can't do it — not that we have announced a calendar with it starting there — but if it were to be at the start and we couldn't do it, then I think we'd find another time in the calendar when we could hold it later on."

His conclusion, however, left no room for ambiguity: "But, you know, we will fight tooth and nail to make sure we get that race in, because we want to do it for the partnership. But we can't predict what the situation will be like."

Broader implications for the Gen4 era

The stakes are considerable. Saudi Arabia's investment has been integral to Formula E's growth, and losing Jeddah from the inaugural Gen4 season would be a significant blow — not just financially, but symbolically. The series is heading into a new chapter, with teams and manufacturers already exploring ways to shape the competition, as seen by Citroën's recent proposal for variable Pit Boost options in the Gen4 era. For now, Dodds and Formula E will hope that the geopolitical situation stabilises in time to allow what has become one of the season's defining events to go ahead as planned.