Formula E and TARSHID, the National Energy Services Company of Saudi Arabia, have today announced a new partnership with the upcoming Diriyah E-Prix races taking place on 28 and 29 January 2022.

The partnership will deliver a case study project, utilizing TARSHID’s expertise in energy efficiency to study the innovative low-power LED technology lighting used to illuminate the 2.5km Diriyah street circuit around the historic town walls of the UNESCO World Heritage site.

Diriyah will host the only night races on the 16-race calendar with the opening two rounds of Season 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The first Diriyah E-Prix in 2018 made history as the first-ever international motorsport event to be held in Saudi Arabia.

As the only all-electric motorsport World Championship, Formula E actively promotes electric mobility and renewable energy solutions to contribute to reducing air pollution and fighting against climate change. Formula E is a platform for change across society and supports the Vision 2030 project.

Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Abdullah Al Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF), Ministry of Sport, said: “Tarshid has had a tremendous impact implementing energy efficiency projects and more sustainable and affordable energy systems in the Kingdom. With the country primed for wide-scale implementation of many of these solutions moving forward, their work is naturally aligned with Formula E’s commitment to driving sustainability in motorsport technology. We are delighted to be welcoming them on board as a strategic partner.”

TARSHID CEO Mr. Waled Alghreri said: “This partnership comes as one of many projects that the company is participating in to highlight our work in this sector. The track lighting for the first Formula E night race in February 2021 caught our attention, along with the highly efficient LED system. Becoming a sponsor of this track lighting entitled (“Illuminated by TARSHID”) allows us to highlight our own energy efficiency projects, and to work with the Diriyah E-Prix to create an efficient lighting case study that we will jointly publish in the coming months.”

TARSHID develops, manages and funds energy efficiency projects across a variety of sectors. It aims to be a pioneer in its field and to help build a more sustainable future, as part of its goals to achieve the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 in developing the energy efficiency industry. One of TARSHID’s major programs is to retrofit 3.2 million streetlights across the Kingdom.

The major goal of this program is to decrease the electric consumption of streetlights by an average of 50-60% while unifying the technical specification of LED fixtures all over the Kingdom to achieve the highest level of energy efficiency in accordance with international standards. This program is spearheaded by TARSHID, with the private sector being a major supporter in providing their latest technology and technical services.

Carlo Boutagy, founder of CBX, promoter of the Diriyah E-Prix, said: “There are few partnerships that reflect the common goals of advancement in energy efficiency as well as that of TARSHID and the Diriyah E-Prix. The commitment to innovate through the latest sustainable technology is clear to see, and we are excited to have TARSHID on board.”

Alberto Longo, Co-Founder and Chief Championship Officer, Formula E, said: “We are delighted to partner with TARSHID, a major player in the sustainability sector, to harness their expertise and commitment to excellence in energy efficiency.”

Tickets for the Diriyah E-Prix are available now at diriyah-eprix.com. Further information about TARSHID and its projects is available at tarshid.com.sa