The 2026 Saudi Toyota Drift Championship will be decided in Jeddah on 26–27 November, and the Pro class has shaped up into a two-man fight between Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Al-Arabi and Oman’s Ahmed Al-Amri.
How we got here
The two Al-Ahsa rounds produced mirror-image results. Al-Amri won the season opener ahead of Al-Arabi, then the Saudi turned the tables in Round 2, beating the Omani with Yousef Bahuwairth in third. With one win each, the title goes to Jeddah.
The championship, owned and run by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, has grown quickly: 41 drivers entered the opening round and 59 the second, across three categories.
- Amateur – the entry point for new drivers
- Semi-pro – for experienced drivers with more developed cars
- Pro – the top class, where the title fight lives
Engineering and safety in focus
Ahead of the final, the federation has put the spotlight on car preparation and safety standards, part of a wider push to develop national talent and professionalise motorsport in the Kingdom. The Jeddah weekend also runs alongside the decisive round of the Saudi Toyota Autocross Championship on 27–28 November.
What to watch
Al-Arabi is the defending national champion, having been crowned in 2025. Al-Amri is one of the region’s most decorated drifters, a Red Bull Car Park Drift world champion and a regular winner in Qatar and Oman. A Saudi home win or an Omani raid — either way, the Gulf’s best drift rivalry of the year ends in Jeddah.
Lead image is illustrative. Photo: Mahara racing 1 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).