Jeddah schools to close on Sunday for Formula One race

Pupils will take classes on Madrasati online platform

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is being held in Jeddah on March 19. Reuters

The Jeddah Education Department has announced that schools will be closed on Sunday, as the Saudi city hosts a Formula One race.

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be held on March 19, although events take place from March 17.

Classes will resume through the Madrasati remote-learning platform for all schoolchildren.

The department posted the announcement on its official Twitter account that next Sunday will be a holiday "for all schools in Jeddah with the activation of the distance education platform”.

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit has been undergoing preparations to host the race, the third international motor racing event held in the coastal city.

Work on the track over the past 10 months, in collaboration with Formula One and the FIA governing body, involved some slight changes to the turns to improve the drivers’ view.

The Saudi Arabia Grand Prix was first staged in Jeddah in 2021.

The first race was held on a street circuit in the month of November, beginning and ending on the city’s Corniche and running along the Red Sea.