RIYADH — Saudi Customs played a pivotal role in the staging of the Saudia Ad Diriyah E Prix, the largest international motor sports and entertainment event in the Kingdom’s history.

The entity, in collaboration with Saudi Cargo and other customs partners, supported Saudi Arabia’s General Sports Authority (GSA) by facilitating the clearance of more than 500 shipments dedicated to the inaugural event, which marks the opening race of the 2018/19 ABB FIA Formula E

Championship.

Held in Riyadh on December 13 - 15, 2018, the sports and entertainment extravaganza showed visiting motor racing fans from around the world three days of gripping Formula E city street electric car racing, live music from global artists including DJ David Guetta, One Republic and Enrique Iglesias, plus entertainment and cultural activities.

Saudi Customs has worked in collaboration with Saudi Cargo and other customs partners to clear the event-related shipments arriving via air, land and sea from 40-plus suppliers in more than 15 countries around the world.

This has involved locking all shipments on arrival and moving them to Diriyah Bonded Zone – a temporary site established to clear all event shipments – where they are inspected and cleared within a 24-hour period.

When the event has concluded, shipments will be re-loaded and locked at the bonded zone, inspected by Saudi Customs, and transported back to the ports for re-exporting.

“It is an honor for Saudi Customs, in collaboration with its valued partners, to support the GSA in staging this historical motor race in Saudi Arabia. We are proud to provide world-class customs services as part of the overall seamless logistics effort to deliver this landmark event,” said Faisal Albedah, Deputy Governor for Trade Facilitation, Saudi Customs.

“As an organization responsible for facilitating the safe and efficient import and export of trade goods and associated services in Saudi Arabia, our goals are aligned to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 strategy, and the Saudia Ad Diriyah E Prix marks a significant milestone in this plan by positioning Saudi Arabia as a destination for international events. We are honored to play a role in making the country’s vision a reality.”

Saudi Customs’ partners have praised its swift and professional facilitation and clearance of event shipments.

“When the main freight arrived on three large charter aircrafts, Saudi Customs exceeded our expectations,” said Alessandro Viano, Head of VAS Italy (IWS- Area Manager- Motorsports) at DHL Global Forwarding, the event’s main logistics sponsor.

“We thought customs clearance would take almost a week in Saudi, but in fact, all the freight was cleared in less than 24 hours, so it was an excellent job by Saudi Customs for us.”

Ignacio Calcedo, Event Manager at Formula E, said: “I have been extremely impressed by how Saudi Customs has worked in partnership with us to deliver all of the event shipments on time. This is absolutely crucial to the success of the Saudia Ad Diriyah E Prix and I would like to thank Saudi Customs and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their great work.”

Saudi Arabia’s 10-year deal with Formula E to stage the electric car street racing series is a first for the Middle East and features the series’ next-generation Gen2 cars for the first time.

It also marks the first event in the Kingdom accessible to international tourists, made possible by a new online e-visa system, Sharek, demonstrating to the world Saudi Arabia’s future vision for tourism. — SG