The new series is the successor to the fully electric Extreme E and aims to focus on sustainable mobility and hydrogen technology in motorsport. Qiddiya City is a megaproject near the Saudi capital Riyadh. The planned city is intended to become a hub for entertainment, sports, and culture. According to the organizer, it shares the vision of combining motorsport with sustainability and technological innovation. The race is set to take place on a specially designed off-road course near the Tuwaiq Mountains. The city is also planning the construction of another new racetrack and is committed to motorsport beyond Extreme H.
Alejandro Agag, founder and chairman of Extreme H, emphasizes that the event is not just a race but a “statement of intent” meant to demonstrate the capabilities of hydrogen and sustainable technology.
Before the start of the new series, the final race of the Extreme E series, the Desert X Prix, will also be held in Qiddiya City on October 4 and 5, 2025. This is intended to mark the transition to the new hydrogen series. “Extreme H’s first event will also host the final Extreme E race,” Agag explained. “It is a fitting conclusion for Extreme E before we officially enter the new hydrogen era.”
The sustainability aspects of the planned city are to include 100 percent wastewater reuse, infrastructure for renewable energy, and EV charging points on 80 percent of parking spaces. In addition, large-scale reforestation is planned as part of the Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to plant ten billion trees by 2030. Like other megaprojects in the region, Qiddiya City has faced criticism from environmental and human rights organizations, which remain unconvinced by these promises.
How motorsport is expected to advance hydrogen mobility will also be the cover story of the next issue of H2international, to be published on September 18.
