Yazeed Al-Rajhi

Yazeed Mohamed Al-Rajhi^[1] (Arabic: يزيد محمد الراجحي; born 5 may 1981^[1] in Riyadh) is a Saudi businessman and rally driver.^[2] He is from the family that founded the largest bank in Saudi Arabia.

He was born and raised in Riyadh. He began his working life at an early age when his father appointed him in 1998 as an observer of the Private Property Office and later became its genz manager throughout the Kingdom in 2004.

He has argued against free speech in Saudi Arabia, saying, "We should not accept any negative talk about our rulers, even in private settings."^[3]

Rally career

At the same time, Al-Rajhi is a Rally driver and a two-time FIA World Cup champion in 2021 and 2022, a four-time champion in the local championship, the Saudi Toyota Championship in 2019 and 2022–24,^[4][5] and a winner of the Dakar Rally.

Al-Rajhi has been competing in the World Rally Championship and other international rally events since 2007 and stopped at the end of 2018. He later started to participate in the cross-country rallies, and his debut at the Dakar Rally was in 2015.

In 2007, Al-Rajhi established his own racing team. It was known as the Al-Rajhi Racing Team and later renamed Yazeed Racing Team,^[6] where he started his first unofficial competition in the Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), the 2007 Jordan Rally, in order to gain experience so he can formally participate in different rally championships in the future. After that, he scored his first ever points (eighth place) in Greek 2012 Acropolis Rally in the 40th season of the World Rally Championship (WRC).

Nicknamed the Black Horse, Al Rajhi made his WRC debut at the 2008 Rally Argentina with a Subaru Impreza WRX STI in the 2008 Jordan Rally, as his other WRC appearance of the year.^[7] He returned to the top level in 2010, finishing 13th overall on the Jordan Rally in a Peugeot 207 S2000. He also contested that year's Rally d'Italia Sardegna, a round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, but he retired after losing a wheel. In 2011, he contested seven WRC rounds but retired from six of them. He also competed in the 2011 Tour de Corse, finishing 14th. The Saudi won the Silk Way Rally^[8] in 2018. In 2019, Al Rajhi won the first edition of Saudi Desert Rally Championship. Yazeed occupied the top positions in Dakar 2020, with his best finish in fourth place. Moving to the new year, the Saudi motorsport icon left a historical imprint in the second edition of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia after winning two stages in the Dakar Rally 2021 in his Toyota Hilux. He became the first Saudi and Arab to win on home soil in his class and the youngest contestant to win a stage in Dakar that year.^[9] In 2025, Yazeed won the 2025 Dakar Rally, becoming the first Saudi to win the Dakar on home soil.^[10][11]

Championship titles

• 2021 [FIA World Cup for Cross Country Baja][1]
• 2022 [FIA World Cup for Cross Country Baja][2]
• 2019 [Saudi Toyota Championship]
• 2022 [Saudi Toyota Championship][3]
• 2023 [Saudi Toyota Championship][4]
• 2024 [Saudi Toyota Championship] [5]

Personal titles

• The first Saudi to be selected in 2008 by the Unicef as the Goodwill ambassador in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, for one year
• The first Saudi to be appointed as a 'Donate Life' ambassador in 2009
• In 2009 he got the title of 'Gentleman' by Rotana magazines readers' popular Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
• In 2008 he came in third position in the Mobily and Riyadiah 'Most Distinguished Athlete in Saudi Arabia ' competition
• Received the title of ambassador for fighting drugs in Saudi Arabia
• The best upcoming competitor in the third round of the World Rally Competition taking place in Jordon – 2010 Archived 23 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine

Racing career

Results of 2025

Results of 2024

Results of 2023

Results of 2022

Best results of 2021

Best results of 2020

Best results 2019

Best results 2018

Best results 2017

Best results 2016

• Third Overall in Cross Country Championship – CCR (2016)

Best results 2015

• Third Overall in Cross Country Championship – CCR (2015)
• Al Rajhi made his debut in Dakar.

Best results 2014

• Third Overall in Cross Country Championship – CCR.

Best results 2013

• Fifth Overall in World Rally Championship WRC2.
• Fifth Overall in Middle East Rally Championship MERS.

Best results 2012

• Third Overall in World Rally Championship WRC2.

Best results 2011

Best results 2010

Best results 2009

• Third Overall in MERC.

Best results 2008

Victories of Saudi Arabia Motor Federation (SAMF)

Career results

Complete World Rally Championship results

* Season still in progress.

SWRC results

WRC-2 results

WRC-Trophy results

ERC results

Dakar Rally results

Complete World Rally-Raid Championship results

(key)

* Season still in progress.

References

1. ^ "Team". YazeedRacing.com. Archived 2020-03-14 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
2. ^ "Mohammed Al Rajhi & family". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
3. ^ "Saudi Arabia goes after critics of rising cost of living". Financial Times. 2025.
4. ^ Perkins, Neil (2023-12-16). "STC Al-Rajhi and Al-Tuwaijri seal Saudi Toyota Championship titles with victory in Jeddah Rally Toyota". NDP Publicity. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
5. ^ Helder (2024-12-21). "Jeddah Rally 2024: Al-Rahji secures 4th Saudi Rally Championship title with victory at Jeddah Rally Toyota". www.rallyraidnetwork.com. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
6. ^ "Yazeed AlRajhi Racing Team". yazeed.knowhowsolutions.cz. Archived 2020-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
7. ^ "Yazeed Al-Rajhi". eWRC-results.com. eWRC.cz. Archived 20 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
8. ^ "S.7 – Lipetsk-Moscou: " Apothéose sur la Place Rouge " – 497,22 km". silkwayrally.com. Archived 2018-11-06 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
9. ^ "Saudi Arabia's motorsport icon Yazeed Al-Rajhi claims two home stages at Dakar Rally 2021". Ajel. 2021-01-17. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
10. ^ "Yazeed Al-Rajhi Records Historic Dakar Rally Triumph". Barrons. 2025-01-17. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
11. ^ Brunsdon, Stephen (2025-01-19). "How Dakar's new champion vanquished his illustrious rivals". DirtFish. Retrieved 2025-01-20.

External links

• Official website