There are plans to develop motor-racing as a leisure activity, a major sport and significant contributor to the economies of the Arabian Gulf states. "Saudi Arabia’s first major international racetrack was opened March 13 outside Riyadh. In addition to staging local racing series, the track will be used as a motor-sports job-training site — in everything from marketing to management to driving — in the hope of creating jobs." One of the ideas behind the Saudi racetrack, owned by members of the Saudi royal family, is to discourage the practice of racing on the roads of the Kingdom by providing a purpose built racetrack.
