The 2023 season of the Saudi "Toyota" Rally Championship is reaching its final stage next week with the Jeddah Toyota Rally, which will take place from December 14 to 16. This will be the second edition of the rally, following the first edition organized in 2016. The rally is organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and in partnership with the official partner "Abdul Latif Jameel Toyota" and strategic partner "Saudi Investment Bank." It is overseen by the Board of Directors of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Sultan Abdullah Al Faisal.
King Abdullah Economic City will host the rally's headquarters, where administrative documentation and technical inspections for participating vehicles will take place on Wednesday, December 13, one day before the rally starts, which will last for three days. King Abdullah Economic City is considered an emerging hub on the Red Sea coast, adjacent to King Abdullah Port and the Industrial Valley in King Abdullah Economic City. It is home to over 100 international and Saudi companies from various sectors, alongside a tourism and entertainment area, making it a comprehensive location within Saudi Vision 2030.
The rally activities will kick off with an opening ceremony held in King Abdullah Economic City on Thursday, December 14, followed by a special showcase stage at 3 PM in the coastal village of Thoul, located 30 kilometers south of King Abdullah Economic City, to determine the starting positions for the first special stage. The actual competition will commence with the first special stage, approximately 247 kilometers long, on the morning of Friday, December 15, starting from Rabigh, north of Jeddah.
The competition will conclude on Saturday, December 16, with the second special stage, approximately 110 kilometers long, starting and ending in the historic agricultural province of Khulais in the Makkah region, northeast of Jeddah. The rally's events will wrap up with a press conference and an awards ceremony for the winners at 5 PM in King Abdullah Economic City.
The Jeddah Rally was first held in 2014, with Saudi driver Yazeed Al Rajhi, alongside French navigator Alex winok, winning in a Hummer Buggy. Yazeed repeated this achievement in the following season with German navigator Timo Gottschalk. In 2016, Qatari driver Adel Abdullah with French navigator Sebastian Delahaye won the rally in a T2 vehicle (representing commercially available rally cars). Yazeed returned to win the rally for the third time last December, this time with German navigator Dirk von Zitzewitz in a Toyota Hilux.
Saudi drivers dominated the other categories, with Ahmed Al Shuqai winning the T2 title, Saleh Al Seif taking the T3 category for lightweight desert vehicles, and Maha Al Hamli winning the T4 category for lightweight commercial desert vehicles. Saudi rider Abdul Majid Al Khalifi won the quad bike category in 2014 and 2015, while his compatriot Haitham Al Tuwaijri won the title in the 2022 edition. Emirati rider Hamdan Al Ali claimed the motorcycle category title last year on a Husqvarna bike.
