MORE RACES CANCELLED IN THE MIDDLE EAST, FORMULA 1 AWAITS
The uncertainty around motorsport events in the Middle East is growing, with more races being cancelled or moved away from the region. The latest changes have affected both the 24H Series and the World Rally Championship, while Formula 1 is still waiting to decide whether the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix can take place as planned. (SPEEDWEEK.com)
The 24 Hours of Dubai, which was scheduled for January 8-10, 2027, will no longer take place in the United Arab Emirates. Creventic has moved the event to the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in South Africa, creating the first international 24-hour race at the South African venue. The change was made because of uncertainty in the Gulf region and the resulting difficulties with logistics and transport planning.
The Dubai event has been an important part of the Creventic calendar for 20 years. The move to Kyalami will therefore be a major change for the series, although the original date will be kept. The previously planned Middle East events at Abu Dhabi have also been postponed until the 2027/28 campaign.
The World Rally Championship has made an even bigger change. The FIA and WRC Promoter confirmed that Rally Saudi Arabia will not take place as a WRC event in 2026. The rally was scheduled for November 12-15 and was due to be the final round of the season. The organisations said that ongoing uncertainty in the region and its effect on logistics made it impossible to continue with the event as planned.
The WRC will now finish the season with Rally Italia Sardegna from October 1-4. This means the championship has been reduced from 14 rounds to 13, with the title now being decided in Sardinia. Saudi Arabia will still host a round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship in November, but the WRC event will not take place.
The decision also shows that the cancellation is specifically linked to the WRC’s international logistics and the wider regional situation. The FIA and WRC Promoter both stressed that Saudi Arabia remains committed to hosting the WRC in the future, with the organisations already looking towards a possible return in 2027.
Formula 1 is now facing a similar decision regarding the final two rounds of its 2026 season. Qatar is scheduled to host the penultimate Grand Prix from November 27-29, followed by Abu Dhabi on December 4-6. Both races remain on the official calendar for now, but their status is still under review.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali previously said that the championship was monitoring the situation and working with other major championships before making a decision. He also stated that if the Middle Eastern races cannot take place, the 2026 season would finish in Europe instead.
A decision was originally expected around September, but recent reports indicate that the timeline could move into October. Reuters reported that the decision on Qatar and Abu Dhabi could slip to next month, while Formula 1 continues to assess the situation.
There are already signs that Formula 1 is preparing for different possibilities. Reports say that teams have booked accommodation in Imola as part of preparations for a possible European replacement, although Qatar and Abu Dhabi remain officially scheduled at the moment.
The situation is therefore different from series to series. The 24 Hours of Dubai has already been moved to South Africa, the WRC has removed Saudi Arabia from its 2026 calendar, while Formula 1 is still assessing its options for Qatar and Abu Dhabi. For now, no final decision has been made on the two F1 races.
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