Formula E season-opener at risk after Jeddah travel advisory issued

Formula E’s season-opening double-header in Jeddah is at risk of being unable to take place as a direct result of the increased attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

Saudi Arabia’s capital city, Riyadh, came under major attack last week, with four separate strikes on King Khalid International Airport.

The horrific attacks have resulted in the tragic deaths of 13 individuals, including one employee of Formula E’s official airline partner, Saudia. Alongside the fatalities, the strikes have injured more than 300 people.

Formula E’s Jeddah E-Prix, which is set to kickstart the Gen4 era and the 2026/27 season, is not scheduled until December 18–19 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, roughly 850km away from Riyadh.

However, Dammam airport on Saudi Arabia’s east coast has also been hit, with the Houthis warning airlines against using any airport in the country due to the potential for further attacks across the country.

As of Sunday evening, the UK has advised against ‘all but essential travel to Aseer province, Riyadh province, Najran province, Jizan province and the cities of Taif, Jeddah and Dammam’. The United States has issued a similar advisory.

Formula E is expected to review the situation in the Middle East again in mid-October, with a final decision on whether it will race in Jeddah at the end of the year due to be made in November, closer to the official pre-season test in Madrid.

A decision will be needed by the conclusion of testing, with teams having to plan to ship cargo from Madrid to either Jeddah for December’s double-header or Mexico City, which will start the season in January should the races in the Middle East be unable to take place.

If the event is unable to take place, postponement is more likely than cancellation, with Formula E having opportunities in 2027 to fit Jeddah back into the calendar. Nevertheless, this will cost the series a significant sum.

The greater issue currently is securing insurance for the championship and teams to travel to Saudi Arabia, given that the vast majority are based in either the UK or the USA. With an advisory against all but essential travel in place, obtaining insurance becomes significantly more difficult.

Should the advisory remain in place, Formula E will likely be left with no choice but to start the season in Mexico City. However, as has been the case throughout the conflict in the Middle East, the situation remains incredibly fast-moving.

RacingNews365 has approached Formula E for comment.