The first edition of SoapBox Saudi lands at Jeddah Corniche Circuit from 14 to 16 May 2026.
Jeddah is no stranger to high-octane spectacle, but this spring it is making room for a very different kind of race weekend. SoapBox Saudi ’26 will take over Jeddah Corniche Circuit from 14 to 16 May 2026, bringing with it a format that is less about polished engineering and more about raw imagination. It also arrives at a moment when motorsport fans in the Kingdom are looking for something new, after Formula 1 confirmed that the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix would not take place in April.
Forget roaring engines and elite pit crews. SoapBox Saudi is built around gravity-powered, non-motorised cars designed and built by teams from the ground up. Competitors are expected to design vehicles that can handle the track while also standing out visually, turning the event into a mix of race day, live performance and engineering challenge. Teams will be judged on race performance, creativity and engineering safety, giving equal weight to speed, originality and execution.
That balance between competition and entertainment is what should make SoapBox Saudi feel especially fresh. This is not a race where the sleekest machine automatically wins. The cars can be bold, strange and gloriously over the top, provided they meet the required standards. There is also a serious incentive to get it right, as the event offers a total cash prize pool of SAR 100,000, including SAR 50,000 for first place.
The regulations are strict enough to keep things safe without stripping away the fun. Cars must remain within 250cm in length and 180cm in both width and height, with a maximum weight of 80kg excluding the driver. Each team consists of four to five members, with one driver taking the wheel on race day. Organisers have also made it clear that every build must pass a mandatory safety check before hitting the circuit.
For Jeddah, SoapBox Saudi feels like a smart addition to the city’s event calendar. It taps into the excitement of race culture while making space for creativity and crowd appeal. In a city already known for hosting major sporting events, this promises a more playful, unpredictable kind of energy.
Where: Jeddah Corniche Circuit, 7897 Al Kurnaysh Road, Ash Shati, Jeddah, 23512
When: 14 to 16 May 2026
Contact: @soapboxsaud