Naoya Inoue to headline Riyadh’s ‘Night of the Samurai’

Riyadh Season hosts ‘Ring V: Night of the Samurai’. supplied
Short Url
Updated 18 September 2025
Follow

Naoya Inoue to headline Riyadh’s ‘Night of the Samurai’

  • Japanese superstar Inoue will fight for the first time in Saudi Arabia on Dec. 27, against Mexico’s Alan Picasso Romero

RIYADH: Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, has announced that Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue (31-0, 27 KOs) will defend his WBC super-bantamweight title against Mexico’s Alan Picasso Romero (32-0-1, 17 KOs) on Dec. 27.

The fight will headline Riyadh Season’s “Ring V: Night of the Samurai” at the Mohammed Abdo Arena, according to reports on Thursday.

This marks Inoue’s first fight in Saudi Arabia, following his dominant title defense last weekend against Murodjon Akhmadaliev.

Ring Magazine has ranked Inoue third in boxing’s pound-for-pound ratings, with Terence Crawford first and Oleksandr Usyk second.

The card includes Junto Nakatani (31‑0, 24 KOs), the unified bantamweight champion, who will make his super‑bantamweight debut against Mexico’s Sebastian Hernandez Reyes (20‑0, 18 KOs), a 24‑year‑old rising star.

The card will be broadcast live worldwide on DAZN and Lemino in Japan.


Driving force behind Saudi motorsport lauds partnership with Formula E ahead of Jeddah E-Prix 2026

Updated 12 February 2026
Follow

Driving force behind Saudi motorsport lauds partnership with Formula E ahead of Jeddah E-Prix 2026

  • Prince Khalid bin Sultan: We are proud to continue our partnership with Formula E, which represents a model for the future of sports based on innovation and sustainability
  • Alberto Longo: We are delighted to be in the Kingdom, and we view Saudi Arabia as a long-term strategic partner in building the future of electric motorsport globally

JEDDAH: The driving force behind Saudi motorsport, Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, has lauded its partnership with Formula E ahead of the Jeddah E-Prix.

“For Saudi Arabia to host such prestigious international motor races is a great honor. We are proud of that, as part of our drive to achieve the aims of Saudi Arabia Vision 2030,” said Prince Khalid bin Sultan, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) and the Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC).

The announcement was made at a major press conference that took place at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Thursday in the presence of Alberto Longo, the Co-Founder & Chief Championship Officer of Formula E and Carlo Boutagy, the Founder and CEO of CBX.

Speaking ahead of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, taking place at the iconic Jeddah Corniche Circuit on 13 and 14 February 2026, Prince Khalid told press: “Since hosting its first international race in 2018, motorsports in the Kingdom has witnessed a qualitative leap in terms of organization, audience attendance, and global standing, and today the Kingdom has become a major stop on the calendar of the most important international championships.”

He added: “We are proud to continue our partnership with Formula E, which represents a model for the future of sports based on innovation and sustainability, and is fully aligned with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.”

For his part, Alberto Longo, the Co-Founder & Chief Championship Officer of Formula E, stated that Saudi Arabia was among the first partners to believe in the vision of Formula E, he said: “We are proud that our first major international station in the region is part of the transformation path led by Vision 2030.”

He added: “We are delighted to be in the Kingdom, and we view Saudi Arabia as a long-term strategic partner in building the future of electric motorsport globally.”

Carlo Boutagy, the Founder and CEO of CBX spoke to the press about the event and what the Formula E enthusiasts expect this year, he said: “The Jeddah E-Prix achieved great popular and organizational success in the last edition, with tickets selling out before the race date, which reflects the rapid growth of motorsports in the Kingdom.”

“Today we are not just talking about a race, but about a complete experience that includes competition, entertainment, audience interaction, and presenting a modern model for the sports events industry in the Kingdom,” he added.

He pointed out that beyond racing, the event offers a full entertainment experience, including concerts, interactive fan zones, and global sponsor activities designed to engage attendees of all ages.