For the tenth consecutive year, Qatar will host the first round of the MotoGP World Championship under the brilliant floodlights of the Losail International Circuit. The Grand Prix of Qatar, the only night race on the calendar and the first to kick off the international race season, will be held at the Losail Circuit Sports Club (LCSC) this weekend from 23rd to 26th March.
To join in welcoming the eyes of the motorsport world onto Qatar, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) has entered a two-year partnership with LSCS to host the annual event. The partnership will leverage the MotoGP’s international profile and media exposure to raise interest and grow the number of international visitors coming to Qatar for the annual event in 2018 and beyond.
Commenting on the partnership, Hassan Al Ibrahim, Chief Tourism Development Officer at QTA said, “Over the years, MotoGP has earned its position as one of the marquee annual sport events in the Qatari, GCC and international motorsport calendars, attracting thousands of spectators to experience the action against the backdrop of Qatar’s iconic assets.” He added, “Sports and recreation tourism has been identified as one of the four priority tourism sub-sectors in the Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy (QNTSS) and we are proud to join hands with LSCS to build on this events growing popularity in attracting more visitors.”
According to MotoGP figures, the Lusail Circuit attracts over 17,000 spectators during the event, with spectatorship figures increasing each year. The partnership aims to capitalise on the event’s strength to attract more international visitors and further develop the growing sports tourism sub-sector in Qatar.
Mr. Saud Al Attiyah, President of LSCS added, “This partnership is reflective of the club’s ever increasing commitment to developing the sports sector in Qatar, whether it be the motorsport industry directly or other key sub-sectors such as Sport Tourism, to contribute to the nation’s goal of developing a strong and economically viable sports cluster in Qatar.
He continued, “Also, I hope the tangible goal focused nature of the partnership hopefully signals to potential future event partners, the commitment of the club to deliver value for partners going forward and in the process, achieve the best event experience for the spectators, fans internationally, the teams on the track, our partners and the country.”
The Grand Prix of Qatar starts with free practices on Thursday and Friday for all categories and the Qualifying sessions are scheduled to take place on Saturday, 25th March. On Sunday the 26th, the Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP races start at 18:00, 19:20 and 21.00 respectively.
Tickets are available in the Grandstand, VIP Village and Losail VIP Club categories for 200, 2,250 or 2,500 and 3,250 Qatari Riyals respectively. They can be purchased at Q-Tickets, Virgin Megastore’s in-store or online platforms, and at the Losail Circuit Sports Club during the week of the event.
Visitors and residents are invited to head out to the circuit and enjoy the adrenaline-rush in free outdoor sports-related and cultural activities on offer at the fan zone. Activities include free Go-Karting, camel-riding, falcon petting, Arabic coffee-making, and much more. Children under the age of 11 are allowed free access and will be able to enjoy the kids’ zone activities with its inflatable bouncy castles.
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