Riyadh | BETH

The 2026 Saudi Toyota Hill Climb Championship officially got underway on Friday, July 3, in the Al Shafa area of Taif, marking the opening round of one of the Kingdom's premier motorsport competitions. The championship is organized under the supervision of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) in partnership with Jameel Motorsport.

First Qualifying Round Results

The organizers announced the results of the first qualifying round, which featured strong participation from drivers competing across multiple vehicle classes.

The drivers included in the published qualifying results are:

• Ali Fadel Ali
• Ahmed Tamer Kayello
• Faisal Amin Noaman
• Ryan Qashqari
• Anas Hamzah Abtini
• Osama Hakeem
• Mostafa Ahmed Elberjawi
• Sultan Kayello
• Abdulrahman Al Baqasi
• Obay Wael Dhafar
• Farouk Rajab Khateb
• Saleh Salah Ashari
• Yasir Bakhsh
• Yassen Abdullah Fanso
• Jazmine Emad Al-Sayed
• Hamza S. Abu Theera

The organizers also recorded two Did Not Finish (DNF) entries:

• Saber Mohammed Alzlfi
• Mustafa Nabeel Alatari (Jordan)

The following drivers Did Not Start (DNS):

• Riyad Batal
• Muhannad Salamah
• Mohammed Aljuraiban
• Abdulaziz Hani Saab
• Moaz M. Elzahrawi

The following competitors were Disqualified (DSQ):

• Mohammed Abdulgaffar
• Abdulrahman M. Alodil

The 2026 championship consists of three rounds, beginning with the opening round on July 3, followed by the second round on July 17, before concluding with the third and final round on July 31, 2026.

The competition takes place on Al Mohammadiyah Road in Al Shafa, a 4.2-kilometer mountain course that starts at approximately 1,900 meters above sea level and finishes at around 2,150 meters, featuring a series of challenging corners and elevation changes that make it one of the Kingdom's most technical hill climb courses.

Unlike traditional circuit racing, hill climb events feature one driver at a time competing against the clock, with victory awarded to the competitor who records the fastest overall time. Precision, racing line selection, and vehicle control are therefore just as important as outright speed.

BETH Analysis

The significance of the Saudi Toyota Hill Climb Championship extends far beyond being a speed competition.

It represents an important pillar in building a sustainable national motorsport ecosystem.

International success does not begin on podiums—it begins with strong domestic championships that develop experience, identify emerging talent, and provide a consistent competitive environment.

The championship also reflects Saudi Arabia's broader transformation in motorsport, moving beyond hosting world-class events toward investing in local drivers, officials, engineers, and technical expertise, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

Reaching the top of the hill is not the only challenge.

The greater challenge is elevating Saudi motorsport itself to a more competitive position on the international stage.