A design proposal for a local racetrack has been finalized and presented to the proper authorities for approval. The racetrack was designed by Apex Circuit Design, the same group behind the design of the Dubai Autodrome and the Bahrain International Kart Circuit among other projects. Based on the screenshots available, the project contains a FIA/FIM Race Circuit thats 5.65KM long along with a pit/paddock solution, hospitality for 5000 guests, 42 garage bays and is F1/MotoGP compliant. There is also a FIA/CIK Kart Race Circuit thats 1.39KM long, a 1/4 Mile 2 Lane Drag Strip, and Education campus and a Nordic Standard Road Safety Center.
Not sure Kuwait will ever be able to host an F1 race due to the lack of alcohol, but a racetrack is still definitely something that is extremely important to have here so hopefully this project gets approved and implemented. Check out the leaked screenshots below:
Thanks AK
41 replies on “Kuwait International Circuit Proposal”
I hope it has Starbucks and H&M.
Who cares about Alchohol .. we are not in lebanon ..
Best of luck to BMCQ8 for the track and hope you all the best
Who cares? Obviously everyone involved in F1 from the teams to the foreign visitors. There is no way the F1 would agree to hold a race in a dry country. You don’t have to legalize alcohol and I’m not saying you should, but if they’re expecting to hold an F1 race here they’re being delusional.
Oh and of course concerts will have to be legalized because that’s a big part of F1, the after party which will be non existent here because there are no clubs.
F1 is impossible in Kuwait. But concerts are legal. A few months ago, there was Nancy Ajram and Mohamed Hamaki concert and it was advertised everywhere even on buses, Arabic newspapers and billboards.
Concerts are illegal, a few months ago there was a scheduled Akon concert that got canceled because the authorities wouldn’t allow it. It was also advertised everywhere.
Mohamed Hamaki / Nancy Ajram concert was in May 8th 2015, which is one month after the canceled akon concert. The concert proceeded as scheduled and was featured in newspapers after it finished. So concerts are legal. Akon concert was canceled because MPs objected akon lyrics featuring Quran verses.
Information ministry officially permitted akon concert, interior ministry supported it and the youth ministry sponsored it. Then the interior ministry canceled it under pressure from MPs.
yes because concerts are illegal
Ask a legal expert or judicial authority about the legality of concerts.
By the time it gets completed alcohol will be legalized
Is everyone involved in F1 an alcoholic who cannot keep himself dry for the few days that it takes to host the event in a country?
You think people who want to drink are alcoholics? Unlike in Kuwait, the rest of the world doesn’t have a problem with alcohol, even your neighboring countries like Bahrain, Qatar and UAE don’t have a problem with alcohol. Kuwait is one of the handful of countries in this WHOLE wide world who have an issue with alcohol. So just because the rest of the world likes to drink doesn’t make them an alcoholic.
You implied in your post that Alcohol is a pre-condition to hosting an F1 event, which only holds true if the event organisers and fans are alcoholics who cannot hold on to their horses for a few days. This is not true. Most of the local population enjoy cars and races, and at the same time they do not drink.
I personally think that the ban on alcohol in Kuwait is an unfortunate historical mistake that is very difficult to correct, but at the same time, we don’t have to link every fun activity we do with alcohol. I think that anyone who cannot enjoy his time without having drink has issues.
I implied no such thing. Please reread all my comments here again.
Sorry sami, it’s liberties for those attending the event are a pre condition for a hosting country of mega events! you cannot host an international event yet force people entering
to comply to your standards of what you eat and don’t, to drink or not, to have no married couple stay in a hotel or not, to dress in a way or another and and and and.
Keep in mind that any mega event, people travel to for the events and happenings around the event, not only to watch the game or whatever! Countries don’t host mega events and invest billion dollars just to fill stadiums.
So back to Q8, no one is saying it should allow alcohol or change anything in the local laws, but if you want to host an international event, then you have to act to the international standard liking.
F1? You think the Kuwait Towers will be open to public by then ?
Who cares about F1?
hope it gets the drag racers off the street.
true. and this is coming from a huge F1 fan.
i wish that they will not build it up. that would be the waste of money only. i am sure that this money could be used better instead of building up an F1 circuit which will never ever host an F1 race. there are many example countries where they built the facilities and organized only a few races then they never used the circuit again. for people who would like to have a track to race, they can still build one with 10% of the budget of this one.
True but they have the money so they might as well build the best they can build
I dont knowww… To be honest, before building up those facilities, Kuwait should prepare others, like airport, better marines for people who would come with their yatchs, better taxis, maybe a kind of tram or subway which we all heard about before but never noticed any significant step taken. Also hotels are not that good in Kuwait when you compare services and the money you pay. Even if they organize a Formula 1 race without all these things, I do not think that it will be that fun for people to come from around Kuwait and see the race. They would go to Bahrain or Abu Dhabi instead.
That’s not what I said, on the contrary I stated that there is no way an F1 event can be held here. Other than the fact that alcohol has to be legalized and other stuff like concerts and clubs, but then you have visa issues that need to be sorted and a host of other technical issues like the airport, public transportation, accommodation and more. I also don’t think visitors would want their DNA taken at the airport on arrival.
I agree. Lets assume a team has crew members from countries who are banned by Kuwait for a visit visa, let alone the residence or work permit. I wonder how that would affect the newly developed track at the time if the banned nationality issue is not resolved by then.
Epic! Let’s hope they finish it before I die. I want to do a track day everyday 😀
Motorcycles for life!
I’m falling for it again…
I’m as excited at seeing this as I was at seeing the Metro Rail Map in the early-2000s and a couple of years later, pictures of the tallest building in the world in the middle of silk city.
Unfortunately, all the above may just remain ‘visions’ 🙁
The beautiful Kuwait, #1 country in doing proposals. 1% of these proposals end up being finished anyway. And when they do, they end up being an epic fail (a.k.a robbery) just like Jaber stadium.
Tell me if this is a Govt. project or a privately funded project. If you tell me it is a Govt. project then I can take it with a pinch of salt! 😀
F1 races are not linked to alchol availability at all, since the FIA are promoting safe driving .
so i hope you verify why the F1 is not here yet never the less we dont have a circuit.
The F1 races don’t involve alcohol true, but the F1 event and weekend does. Lots of it, like a boatload, in the paddocks, at the clubs, on the yachts, in the stands… everywhere.
Even though Alcohol is legal in Bahrain, there is no Alcohol involved in the Bahrain Grand Prix, not in the stands, and not in the winners podium (They spray a non alcoholic beverage). Of course, one can go to a club or a bar and get wasted after the event, but this is a personal issue, and does not deter people form enjoying the race.
Actually that’s not true. Alcohol is available at the Bahrain Grand Prix in the paddocks and in the tents.
Apparently you’re right. There are some dedicated out of sight drinking areas. But the point remains that the Bahrain F1 does not revolve around alcohol. It revolves around cars and racing.
Can you please stop taking things I say out of context? I never said the Bahrain F1 or any of the F1’s revolve around alcohol. But alcohol does play a big role in the entertainment aspect of the weekend and you can’t have an F1 event without all the entertainment that take place with it.
i think your concept of entertainment is messed up man, in order to have fun and entertain yourself doesn’t mean that you must drink Alcohol, its an option that not everybody would have.
Sky Diving, racing, concerts, …. even kout bu 6 are types of entertainment, and doesn’t need Alcohol to enjoy it …
I think my point flew over your head if you think I’m saying you need alcohol to have fun.
you know that in bahrain, abudhai, and qatar (Moto GP) presents sparkling rose water instead of Champaign, concerts, paddock … etc. these are thing that can be taken care of, the F1 management canceled the german GP this year for lack of sales, and they are reconsidering italy’s race too, they need to pump new races in the calendar, and the gulf region is the new gold mine for this type of motor sport.
on the other hand they are building a FIA/F1 certified circuit doesn’t mean that they must hold a F1 race, we as motorsports enthusiasts require such a track to use our cars in there, so such a project is vital for the sport here in kuwait.
I actually don’t care about F1 or concerts as a Kuwaiti I would love to have a track where i can get the full potential of my car. and building a track for us car enthusiasts is a major step and specially for obeying the law rules. an open track is highly appreciated
I do hope F1 can be a reality in my Kuwait in future and hope some exception can be made just for the event like its done for the embassies to have alcohol.
This is a good initiative and I hope there are a lot of tracks built in Kuwait. Kuwaitis have some of the best and most expensive sports cars that they have to either drive at 120kmph or ship them to Bahrain to have a decent fun spin at speed. All the rash driving in Kuwait will stop when people have an outlet to unleash their machines and driving skills.
Maybe the puporse of it is make people go have fun with their car instead play F1 on the roads…I hope so. Let’s see what will happens when it’s done (maybe in 30 years). Luckily till there they open their mind and finally allow alcohol.
The track will not be able to host f1 races due to the cost that it will require to make legit. The F1 requires several specifications and will not be met and because there are two other tracks in Gulf states. The track will host GT racing. And will be a level 2 track. The track will be done by the diwan. This is a preliminary design and might change.
The track will be designed to comply with FIA regulations for F1 but will not actually hold any F1 races. There are two F1-compliant tracks in the middle east (BIC and AutoDrome) and as per FIA, there is no need for a 3rd F1 compliant track in the same region. AFAIK, it’s been agreed that the track will be kept as a back up in case FIA approval is revoked for any reason from either of those tracks or the need to use a different track arises (political issues in Bahrain for example). Besides, the specific requirements to make it F1 compliant are relatively minimal and should be implemented either way if you wish to build a proper race track, so you might as do it while you’re already there.