Jeddah | BETH – January 23, 2026

The city of Jeddah will witness tomorrow, Friday, January 23, the launch of the opening round of the E1 World Electric Powerboat Championship, which Saudi Arabia is hosting for the third time. The event will run for two days and is organized by the Saudi Marine Sports and Diving Federation, in cooperation with the International Powerboating Federation, under the supervision of the Ministry of Sport and in partnership with the Public Investment Fund.

The Jeddah round marks the first stop of the 2026 season, which includes eight global rounds to be held in prominent cities, including Lake Como, Dubrovnik, Monaco, as well as Lagos and Miami, with the season set to conclude in the Bahamas.

Qualifying races for the Jeddah Grand Prix 2026 will take place on Friday, while the main race will be held on Saturday, featuring 10 teams. Each team consists of two pilots (one male and one female) who alternate piloting the electric powerboat, creating highly competitive and technologically advanced races on the waters of the Red Sea.

The list of participating teams includes several high-profile international entries, most notably:
Okai Racing Team (the defending Jeddah champions), Sierra Racing Club, Team AlUla owned by global basketball star LeBron James, Team Blue Rising owned by cricket star Virat Kohli, Team Tom Brady, Drogba Global Africa owned by former football star Didier Drogba, Team Miami owned by Marc Anthony, Team Monaco, Team Rafa owned by tennis legend Rafael Nadal, and Westbrook Racing owned by American actor Will Smith.

Hosting the opening round in Jeddah further underscores Saudi Arabia’s position as a global destination for modern and sustainable sports, and highlights its growing role in supporting innovation-driven and environmentally focused international sporting events.