Jul 22, 20216 min read

YAMAMA MX TRACK – THE RISE OF MOTORBIKE SPORTS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SOCCER FIELDS.

Updated: Aug 22, 2022

The opening of Saudi Arabia to regular tourists has allowed travelers to satisfy their curiosity about the exciting attractions. From its distinctive natural and geological features and formations to cultural heritage, sites, and facilities.

Though being only an expatriate resident of the kingdom, the opening to regular tourists makes me ecstatic. I will now have the opportunity to show my relatives, friends, and others; everything Saudi has to offer.

As a significant impact I noticed, it has invigorated the hospitality, amusement, and recreation industries. Everyone was overwhelmed and made their preparation in welcoming visitors until the breakout of the COVID 19 pandemic.

Sports enthusiasts were livened up with the development, having had their chance to showcase their facilities to the visitors and their local talents in sports other than soccer football, favorite regional sports of the middle east.

MX Sports Passion

(MX is the official abbreviation or acronym of Motocross Sports)

I could barely see the different levels of enthusiasm by the sports fans in the kingdom when I met the Co-Founder of Yamama MX Track, Riyadh, Mr. Suliman Alwahbi.

I was with him and his family to shoot the camping site and family farm for featuring in my vlog page; however, instead of discussing the organic and biodiversity farming practice in their farm, the direction ran differently. He is more interested in talking to me about the motorbike race track they owned and operated privately.

I was expecting him to show me around in the vast farmland, but instead of coming with me for the shoot, he just gave me the freedom to shoot by my camera any subject I think needed for my video.

To not disappoint the gentleman, I did my way to finish filming the segment I have come for on the farm shorter than what I originally intended to honor his invitation to me to watch the players and see the race track they have. By the time I got in the viewing tent, a distant smile had flashed from his face. Bike riders were playing but not a competition game. When I started rolling my camera on the track with the riders, I suddenly realized I am getting to love watching the sports.

When the riders retreated from the field, I had now the turn to talk further about what he would like to do and his eventual plans for the race track.

The Yamama MX Track Co-Founder, Mr. Suliman Alwahbi, discusses with the author the plans on the motorbike race track and the agri-tourism blueprint in the vast private farm his family owns.

As for myself, having minimal knowledge of this kind of sports, when I saw the race track, to me, it looks well already. But when he started discussing what else he needs to do on the racetrack, I realized the target not merely aiming to settle for a better racetrack; he wants the best, above any other motorbike race tracks the kingdom may have had already.

Building World-Class Race Track

Something unique, first, and world-class standard, and could attract riders from outside the kingdom to come and make them keep coming back. Something that not only myself and my family would be proud about, but community as well. So, thousands of stones to move, massive obstacles to hurdle, but nothing is impossible if you have a goal, says the owner.

Now, the owner is working on modifying the race track, from the landscapes to trails and jumps, finding the right party that could help them construct the highest-rated race track in the kingdom.

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Geographical Advantage

Yamama MX Track has the most strategic and amiable location that gives players, visitors, and spectators a one place complete package of sports, recreation, and adventures. Only a 30-minute drive away from the City Center.

The two main road accesses going to the location offer charming road views, either via Jeddah road or Dirab road. Via Jeddah road, the guest will experience the rolling down and climbing up the 2000 ft. road slope of Tuwaiq Mountain escarpment. While Dirab road is winding down and at almost the same altitude as Jeddah road, it offers more scenic sights overlooking the lower Dirab valley to the right side, while the left is Al Waslah. Excellent road conditions make the place reachable even by the small vehicle model.

The scenic Tuwaiq mountain portion of Jeddah road on the way to Yamama MX Track (right)

The breathtaking winding portion of Dirab Road going to Yamama MX Track (above)

the one major highways connecting Riyadh to the Southern part of Saudi Arabia, as shown here by the two (2) trailer trucks

passing by.

Communication Access

Mobile phones and internet signals are never a problem. It is close to the central satellite station of the biggest telecommunication service providers in the Kingdom, STC, and relay towers of the other telecom companies near the complex.

Support Facilities

Racetrack & Sporting Supports

1. Motorbike mechanic is available to fix the problem in case of any mechanical trouble.

2. Motocross Trainer is around to conduct orientation, training and coaching for those who wanted to learn motocross sports.

Accommodation Facility

MX racing is only one of the segments; it will be integrated into the hospitality and agri-tourism masterplan his family wants to push on their farm. Therefore, the race track development comes into the necessary support facilities, like accommodation villas and tents to house the guests.

The ancestral houses will soon become a lodging facility.

Old farmhouse to convert into a cafeteria in a rural farm setting.

Currently, it caters to the campers and picnickers to enjoy weekend retreats for families, friends, or groups on appointment and booking reservations. Now, only for selected groups, but the expansion of the services, improvement, and modification of the facilities are in the development master plan to eventually cater to a larger number of clients.

However, the private swimming pool, picnic, and camping areas under the dates plants have been open to the public, only for selected groups. For the kids, it has a children’s playground. Interested groups or individuals need to make an appointment.

Right photo, Dr. Mohammed Alwahbi, son of the Yamama MX Track Founder, answering the questions from the author.

Activities You Can Do

Hiking – The entire complex consists of farmlands and mountain hiking and trekking places. Desert wild lives are protected, so everyone could have the chance to see desert animals freely on the loose.
Farm Adventure – The guest will have the opportunity to learn the ways of biodiversity organic farming.
ATV biking
Cart driving
Picnic and family or friends bonding
Overnight camping
Natures communing
Sunset watching

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Security

The place is secured privately. Not to mention, Riyadh has excellent internal peace & order stability compared to some other major cities in the neighboring countries.

Present Standing

The Yamama MX Track is the most active race track facility in Riyadh. It has been flocked by riders during weekends before the pandemic breaks out. Temporarily no competitions are allowed because of the pandemic problem.

Every weekend, small groups play by schedules with a limited number of people for each team.

The weekend scene at the Yamama MX Track until the breakout of COVID 19 pandemic (Above and below photo). Motocross riders from the neighboring cities and regions of Riyadh are coming to play the sports they love.

It has become the venue shoot for Little Big Star, a reality show on a national television channel in Saudi Arabia, MBC, featuring the top gifted kids with exemplary talents in sports, music, arts, and other special and skills.

Its reputation as the most popular and sought-after MX track in the city and Riyadh province motivated the owner to upgrade its facility and class to become among the best racetrack.

By the extensive planning and studies taken now into account by the owners. Those will materialize every single attribute according to its overall master plan; I believe he is building a race track that will not just settle for the good one but the best instead.

Long-term master planning, fueled by visions, dreams, and enthusiasm, the First Class MX Track facility building would firmly back the promotion of motorsports in the kingdom. It would accelerate the racing sports to the level of football popularity in the region.

Could this be the rise of Motocross sports in the middle of the soccer fields? Obviously.