FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has explained why Formula 1 is going ahead with its Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix even though the 2027 Dakar Rally has been moved out of Saudi Arabia. In an exclusive interview with The National, the Emirati said the governing body does not hand down one verdict for the whole region.

The contrast has been at the centre of the doubts about F1's Gulf finale. Rally's best-known event and the World Rally Championship have both stepped away from Saudi Arabia, while F1 still plans to finish its season at Lusail and Yas Marina. The National put the question to him directly: if Dakar cannot stay in Saudi Arabia, why can F1 race in Qatar and Abu Dhabi?

Ben Sulayem says safety comes before the calendar

The FIA president was careful not to make his backing for the races sound unconditional. "The safety and security of everyone involved in our championships will always be the FIA's highest priority, and we will never compromise on that," he said. "We are closely monitoring developments across the Middle East, working with the relevant national authorities, our Member Clubs, FOM, the teams and other stakeholders to assess the situation on an ongoing basis."

He also pushed back against outside noise. "Our responsibility is to make informed decisions based on the facts and the safety of our people, not speculation," Ben Sulayem told the outlet. "We remain in close dialogue with our partners and will continue to act decisively and responsibly." The words "at present" still matter, though: the FIA's position is a current assessment, not a promise.

The interview was published on 9 November, the day before the social media message GPblog reported in which he announced the plans for the F1 season finally.

Dakar organisers decided Saudi Arabia was too unstable

The Dakar decision was announced on 25 October. Organiser Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) and Saudi Motorsport Company said jointly that the edition scheduled for 1 to 15 January 2027 would not be held in the kingdom, citing "recent developments in the region" after repeated attacks on Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Houthis. That decision was taken in cooperation with the FIA and the FIM.

ASO described the move as "exceptional and one-off" and said Saudi Arabia will host the rally's 50th edition in 2028. The World Rally Championship has also removed Saudi Arabia from its calendar, which meant cancelling the round that had been due to run from 11 to 14 November.

Ben Sulayem was already drawing the line in October

On 20 October, speaking at the opening of the FIA's Remote Operations Centre at Biggin Hill, Ben Sulayem was noticeably more cautious about Dakar than about F1. Asked whether Qatar and Abu Dhabi were fine to host races, he replied "Yeah - fine". When the conversation turned to the rally, he said: "We will never take our staff or drivers or any officials to a place where we feel it is risky. No way."

He added that his own children were still in the Emirates, and that the FIA had back-up officials ready in case travel restrictions kept its race director or stewards away. "You have to be ready, and you have to have another team ready in case," he said.

The conflict has already reshaped this season's calendar. After war broke out with Iran, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was cancelled and the Bahrain round was moved to Malaysia.

Ben Sulayem's argument is that each venue gets its own verdict, so leaving Saudi Arabia does not automatically mean leaving the Gulf. F1 races in Las Vegas on 21 November before heading to the Gulf, and that argument will be tested over the coming weeks.