NEOM set to host Extreme E for Season 2 opener in Saudi Arabia

London : As Extreme E continues to draw breath after a climactic end to Season 1, plans are well underway for the Season 2 opener, which begins in the deserts of NEOM, Saudi Arabia's giga-project featuring cognitive cities and a premier visitor destination and inspirational location for all adventure sports, with its expansive red sands, spectacular sandstone formations and historic wall art from civilisations millennia ago.

Saudi Arabia is committed to world-leading investment in sustainable technologies and protecting its unique natural resources. Vision 2030 focuses on reducing the dependence on fossil fuels and includes a highly ambitious deployment plan of renewable energies, particularly solar and wind. The opportunity to host Extreme E, where male and female drivers use electric SUVs, supports NEOM's vision of building a high-performance ecosystem to attract the world’s best events and athletes, while using sport to drive sustainability and diversity, creating positive social impact.

NEOM aims to become a global adventure sports hub using sports tech and innovation, maximising the region's breathtaking adventure sports landscape with a strong emphasis on sustainability. The sport infrastructure in NEOM will include the broadest spectrum of sports, from grassroots to high performance. In addition, NEOM's sport ambitions include a strong focus on environmental conservation in line with the project's plans to preserve 95% of its natural environment.

Extreme E's five-race global voyage will continue to highlight the impact of climate change and human interference in some of the most remarkable, remote locations in the world and promote the adoption of electric vehicles in the fight to help preserve the environment and protect the planet.

HRH Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al- Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle federation and the Saudi Motorsports Company, said: “The return of Extreme E to the Kingdom for the second year in a row further helps emphasize Saudi Arabia’s commitment to a more sustainable future. Welcoming this revolutionary series to Neom aligns with one of the most important goals and pillars of Vision 2030 as well as the personal aspirations of HRH the Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, to make the Kingdom a leading country in the development and promotion of alternative energy sources and the preservation of the environment for future generations.

“This next instalment of the Extreme E race is further proof of the Kingdom’s transformation into a powerhouse for motorsport in the region, the event taking place shortly after the conclusion of another successful Dakar Rally at the start of this year further underlines this. Additionally, we have just hosted our inaugural F1 Grand Prix on the newest, longest, and fastest street circuit in the world. We now look forward with great excitement to continuing this run of successes with the return of Extreme E next month.”

Nadhmi Al-Nasr, NEOM’s CEO, said: “NEOM has made no secret of its desire to promote sustainability and raise awareness around some of the world's most pressing challenges, such as climate change and nature conservation. We feel hosting an innovative racing event such as Extreme E in a region dedicated to pioneering clean technology and mobility solutions perfectly manifests our goals. In keeping with our approach to encouraging talent development and diversity, we are delighted to welcome the drivers, both male and female, the Extreme E team, and leading experts to NEOM. Sport is an important sector for NEOM and will be key in creating a new form of livability and driving economic growth. In particular, adventure sport offerings will be a major contributor to the visitor economy.”

Alejandro Agag, CEO and Founder of Extreme E, said: “Taking the championship to NEOM for our desert location will be an exciting moment, as NEOM's long-term plans are very much in keeping with the ethos of Extreme E – it is attempting to do something that's never been done before and comes at a time when the world needs fresh thinking and new solutions.”

Covering a 26,500-square-kilometre area in northwest Saudi Arabia, NEOM is being built from the ground up, introducing a new model for urban sustainability, powered by 100% renewable energy. NEOM's unparalleled wind and solar energy profiles provide an ideal environment for developing renewable energy projects, utilising green technology in building water capabilities and maximising usage efficiency. Clean energy and clean water in NEOM are driving components for the world’s most ambitious project, leading the next wave of energy transition, with plans underway for large-scale production of green hydrogen (H2) at competitive costs. Located in a region with abundant renewable energy resources, NEOM’s sports ambitions, tied to all aspects of clean energy, are set to reshape the future of several performance sports.

NEOM aims to become a launchpad for the latest in adventure sports that are sustainable and fully adaptive while also leveraging natural environments through personalised adventure sports experiences and educating audiences on environmental awareness. NEOM will create a regional hub for sports tech and innovation and believes its high-performance ecosystem will attract the world's best events and athletes.

The organisation of the race in NEOM further complements its vision of building a sustainable ecosystem and using sport as well as other sectors to advance sustainability and diversity. It is also aligned with NEOM's goals of being a global hub for adventure sports and attracting global sporting events.

Agag went on to say: “As we saw in our first-ever championship race, the Kingdom's terrain is stunning and unforgiving. The desertscape promises to be intense, and it will be an unprecedented challenge for our competitors to explore in a new desert terrain with warmer racing conditions."

NEOM's unique geographical location in northwest Saudi Arabia is home to diverse terrains including long beaches, valleys, and deserts cradled by mountains as well as cool winds from the Red Sea. Its diverse terrain includes 468 kilometres of coastline, spectacular islands, and scenic, snowcapped mountains that reach more than 2,500 metres with stunning views across the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea.

To learn more about Extreme E, visit www.Extreme-E.com 

-Ends-

Contact Information
Julia Fry
Head of Communications
julia@extreme-e.com
Josh Bell
MPA Creative
jb@mpacreative.com
Diego Bustos
BE Mass Media
(Latin America -including Brazil-, US Hispanics, Spain, Portugal)
diego.bustos@bemassmedia.com 

About Extreme E:

Please visit the Extreme E media centre to access images, videos and press releases: https://www.extreme-e.com/en/mediacentre 

Extreme E is a radical new racing series, which will see electric SUVs competing in extreme environments around the world which have already been damaged or affected by climate and environmental issues. The five-race global voyage highlights the impact of climate change and human interference in some of the world’s most remote locations and promotes the adoption of electric vehicles in the quest for a lower carbon future for the planet.  

To minimise local impact, Extreme E races will not be open to spectators, with fans instead invited to follow the action through live TV broadcast, and on social media. 

The St. Helena, a former passenger cargo ship, has undergone a multi-million Euro refit to minimise emissions and transform her into Extreme E’s operations hub. The ship will be used to transport the championship’s freight and infrastructure, including vehicles, to the nearest port, minimising Extreme E’s footprint, as well as being used to facilitate scientific research through its on-board laboratory.

Extreme E is also pioneering hydrogen fuel cell technology which will enable its race fleet to be charged using zero emission energy. This innovative solution from AFC Energy uses water and sun to generate hydrogen power. Not only will this process emit no greenhouse emissions, its only by-product will be water, which will be utilised elsewhere on-site. 

Season 2 Calendar: 

Round 1: Neom, Saudi Arabia
19-20 February 2022
Round 2: Sardinia, Italy
07-08 May 2022
Round 3: Scotland or Senegal
09-10 July 2022
Round 4: Antofagasta, Chile
10-11 September 2022
Round 5: Punta del Este, Uruguay
26-27 November 2022

About Continental Tires: Founding Partner and Official Tire Partner

Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent, and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. Continental generated preliminary sales of €37.7 billion in 2020 and currently employs more than 235,000 people in 58 countries and markets. In 2021, the company celebrates its 150th anniversary.

The Tires business area has 24 production and development locations worldwide. Continental is one of the leading tire manufacturers with more than 56,000 employees and posted preliminary sales of €10.2 billion in 2020 in this business area. Continental ranks among the technology leaders in tire production and offers a broad product range for passenger cars, commercial and special-purpose vehicles as well as two-wheelers. Through continuous investment in research and development, Continental makes a major contribution to safe, cost effective and ecologically efficient mobility. The portfolio of the Tires business area includes services for the tire trade and fleet applications, as well as digital management systems for tires.

About CBMM: Founding Supplier

CBMM is the world leading supplier of niobium products and technology. Headquartered in Brazil, with offices and subsidiaries in China, Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States.

CBMM offers technical innovation to customers around the globe through a team of over 2,000 highly trained, dedicated professionals providing cutting-edge niobium products and technology to over 400 clients in around 40 countries.

About LuisaViaRoma: Official Fashion Partner

Defined by the Financial Times as “A haven for directional fashion,” www.LUISAVIAROMA.COM is the top online luxury fashion destination with 5,000,000 visitors per month and worldwide shipping. With each new season, the website presents the collections of more than 600 established designers and young emerging talents.

About Zenith: Official Timekeeper and Founding Partner

ZENITH: TIME TO REACH YOUR STAR.

Zenith exists to inspire individuals to pursue their dreams and make them come true – against all odds. Since its establishment in 1865, Zenith became the first watch manufacture in the modern sense of the term, and its watches have accompanied extraordinary figures that dreamt big and strived to achieve the impossible – from Louis Blériot’s history-making flight across the English Channel to Felix Baumgartner’s record-setting stratospheric free-fall jump. Zenith is also highlighting visionary and trailblazing women – past and present – by celebrating their accomplishments and creating in 2020 its first-ever collection dedicated entirely to them, Defy Midnight.

With innovation as its guiding star, Zenith features exceptional in-house developed and manufactured movements in all its watches. Since the creation of the El Primero in 1969, the world’s first automatic chronograph calibre, Zenith has gone on to master fractions of the second with the Chronomaster Sport and its 1/10th of a second precision and the DEFY 21 with a precision of 1/100th of a second. Zenith has been shaping the future of Swiss watchmaking since 1865, accompanying those who dare to challenge themselves and break barriers. The time to reach your star is now.

About Allianz: Founding Partner and Official Insurance Partner

The Allianz Group is one of the world's leading insurers and asset managers with more than 100 million private and corporate customers in more than 70 countries. Allianz customers benefit from a broad range of personal and corporate insurance services, ranging from property, life and health insurance to assistance services to credit insurance and global business insurance. Allianz is one of the world’s largest investors, managing around 790 billion euros on behalf of its insurance customers. Furthermore, our asset managers PIMCO and Allianz Global Investors manage 1.7 trillion euros of third-party assets. Thanks to our systematic integration of ecological and social criteria in our business processes and investment decisions, we are amongst the leaders in the insurance industry in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. In 2020, over 150,000 employees achieved total revenues of 140 billion euros and an operating profit of 10.8 billion euros for the group.

About Neat Burger: Official Plant-based Partner

Neat Burger is the first of its kind – the planet-friendly, plant-based, full-flavoured game-changer the world has been waiting for. The world’s first plant-based sustainable burger chain, Neat Burger offers a menu that appeals to not only those who follow plant-based diets, but anyone, meat-eaters included, who wants to eat delicious meat-free dishes that are more sustainable, healthier and ethical. The brand is backed by seven-time FIA Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton, in collaboration with hospitality organisation The Cream Group and investors, as well as UNICEF Ambassador and early backer of Beyond Meat Tommaso Chiabra. Neat Burger opened its first site in September 2019, just off Regent Street in London, and its second and third dine-in outlets at Camden Market and Soho in 2020. Plans for global expansion across Europe, the US and Middle East are already in place for 2021 and beyond.

About EY: Official Innovation Partner

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, strategy, transaction and consulting services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. For more information about our organization, please visit www.ey.com. 

This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients.

About INTERprotección: Official Insurance Broker

INTERprotección is composed of a group of Mexican insurance, reinsurance and surety bond brokerage companies. With global presence and recognition, INTERprotección has more than 40 years of experience in management and comprehensive risk consulting in the Mexican market. Its business model is focused on bringing the client to the forefront and offering them the best service through innovative and disruptive products, more recently with its new brand ​inter.mx,​ its insurance digital platform that is transforming the insurtech game. Follow INTERprotección on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter ​@I​NTERproteccion

About Enel X: Official Smart Charging Partner

Enel X is the Enel Group's global business line that offers services that accelerate innovation and guide the energy transition. World leader in the sector of advanced energy solutions, Enel X manages services such as demand response for approximately 7.4 GW of total capacity globally and 137 MW of storage capacity installed worldwide, as well as 232,000 charging points for electric vehicles made available worldwide¹. Through its advanced solutions, including energy management, financial services and electric mobility, Enel X provides each partner with an intuitive and personalized ecosystem of technological platforms and consulting services, focused on the principles of sustainability and the circular economy in order to provide people, communities, institutions and companies with an alternative model that respects the environment and integrates technological innovation into daily life. Each solution has the power to transform the goals of decarbonization, electrification and digitalization into sustainable actions for all, in order to build together a more sustainable and efficient world.

¹ Public and private charging points, including points of interoperability.
Find out more on https://corporate.enelx.com/en and follow Enel X on its social media channels:

© Press Release 2022